The Terps jumped out to an 8-0 lead.
In the prior three meetings between No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse and Saint Joseph’s, it was one-way traffic. That was the storyline of Saturday’s matchup, but it took some time for the Terps to get to that point.
Chrissy Thomas patiently waited on the right side of the field as Maryland’s offense developed. The graduate student spotted Maisy Clevenger cutting in front of goal unmarked. Thomas delivered the pass, and in one fluid motion, Clevenger looped the ball over goalie Jorden Concordia. That was Thomas’ ninth assist of the season and the second of her four points.
The goal opened a three-goal lead for the Terps and was the start of their offensive onslaught. Six second-quarter goals helped Maryland coast to an 18-7 victory in College Park Saturday, moving to 4-0 all-time against the Hawks.
“Chrissy sees stuff that a lot of people don’t see,” Clevenger said. “I’m so grateful that I’m able to be a cutter for her, even if I’m not the one that gets hit. The way that she dodges before she passes is an amazing thing. … I couldn’t be the player I am without her.”
After conceding 15 goals in its season opener, Maryland’s (2-1) defense has steadied itself. That continued Saturday, forcing Saint Joseph’s (1-4) into seven first-quarter turnovers and allowing just four shots.
When goalie JJ Suriano was called upon in net, she answered. The sophomore dispatched four shots on goal and held the Hawks’ scoreless for nearly 30 minutes of play.
While the defense clicked, the Terps’ offense once again took some time to get their footing. Despite generating eight shots and five on goal, Maryland mustered just two goals in the opening period — a free position goal from Kori Edmondson and a nifty finish from Kayla Gilmore.
But Clevenger’s goal just over a minute into the second quarter was the start of a one-sided affair. On the ensuing possession, Jordyn Lipkin found Shelby Sullivan from behind the net, who fired the ball into the bottom corner of the cage.
“We knew that they were going to clog lanes and try to make things difficult for us,” head coach Cathy Reese said. “I thought our offense did a nice job of moving the ball. They kept their stick sharp. We were patient.”
Thomas notched her first goal of the season on the man-up situation. Clevenger, Emma Abbazia and Sullivan followed suit, pouring on the Terps’ sixth goal in nine minutes of play.
Saint Joseph’s scoreless half was snapped with time expiring. Senior attacker Sarah Groark recorded her 11th goal of the season on the Hawks’ lone shot on goal of the quarter. Despite the score, the Terps held all the momentum heading into the break, holding an 8-1 lead.
Junior attacker Kate Fuhrman doubled the Hawks’ goal tally, but that was the closest the game got in the second half. Maryland embarked on another 4-0 run, with goals from Gilmore, Sullivan, Edmondson and Lipkin.
The Terps’ faceoff success in the opening two games finally converted into offensive pressure. Maryland continued to utilize a committee approach in the circle, and it worked once again. Seven players recorded a draw control and the Terps finished with a 56% draw control win rate.
After recording 36 turnovers through two contests, Maryland’s offense played its cleanest game of the season. The Terps finished with just six turnovers, four of which came in the first quarter.
“I think a lot of us became impatient because we want to be there overnight,” Reese said. “We weren’t throwing at each other’s hips or our feet. We were able to see our open cutters and move the ball a little quicker.”
The lone bright spot for Saint Joseph’s was the play of senior midfielder Maddie Yoder. Last season’s All-Atlantic 10 second-teamer added a hat trick Saturday to push her season total to 13 goals.
But her efforts were outdone by a complete performance from Maryland. The freshmen continued to dominate, as the newcomers combined for seven goals, including Devin Livingston’s first collegiate goal.
Three things to know
1. Balanced attack. Nine Terps found the back of the net, including hat tricks from Edmondson, Sullivan and Clevenger. Maryland’s offense looked the best it has looked all season.
“I think we are really selfless with our play,” Clevenger said. “I think that everybody wants to see everybody do great. It’s not just one person wanting to take charge and take over the entire thing.”
2. Efficient outing. After struggling to convert its pressure into goals through two games, the Terps broke out of that slump. Maryland generated 18 goals on 31 shots, only getting denied by Concordia seven times.
“We didn’t force it very much today after the first quarter,” Reese said. “When we did, we took our time and actually shot to shot. … Sometimes I feel like we just turn and throw it at goal and pray it goes in. But today, we were a little sharper with that.”
3. Looking ahead. The Terps will wrap up its four-game homestand against Denver (2-2). Then, Maryland will enter the heart of its schedule, facing off against three ranked opponents in four contests.