The senior class of the third-seeded Maryland women?s lacrosse team has never reached the Final Four of an NCAA Tournament ? and that?s a fact of which the players are well aware.
“We don?t want to be that class who leaves without anything,” senior midfielder Kelly Kasper said. “I feel like there is a lot of pressure, and this is the best time to do it, your senior year. Go out with a big bang, and I think we can do it.”
Kasper and the team?s other nine seniors can secure a berth in the Final Four for the first time since 2003 when they host Duke (12-7) this afternoon at 1 at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex in College Park. Duke reached the Final Four last season and is looking to advance to the national semifinals next weekend at Towson?s Johnny Unitas Stadium.
Maryland?s seniors finally got past the first round last season before falling to Penn in the second round. This year, they pulled away early in the second half to cruise to a 20-7 opening-round win over Atlantic 10 champion Temple.
But the game had its tenuous moments, including when Temple cut the lead to 8-6 before senior defender Katie Pumphrey scored her first goal of the season to spark the Terrapins to an easy win.
“It was good to be challenged that way and it put things in perspective,” Maryland coach Cathy Reese said. “It made our team recognize we have to play complete games.”
A complete game, however, was something that Maryland didn?t do the last time it faced Duke on March 1 in Durham, N.C. The Terrapins led, 13-11, with 12:23 left, but yielded the final three goals, including the game winner with just three seconds left. Maryland is 1-5 in the teams? past six meetings, including 1-3 in games decided by two goals or fewer.
But winning close games has been Maryland?s biggest weakness, as it is 1-2 in games decided by a goal.
“[Close games] gives us a heart attack,” Kasper said. “But both the games we lost were close games, so there is room for us to win and the score can go either way.”
The way Maryland is playing, however, it might not have to worry about late-game dramatics. Since a 10-9 overtime loss to Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference championship game, the Terrapins have been playing the best they have all season, defeating then-sixth-ranked Princeton, 18-9, Loyola, 20-4, and pounding Temple.
“We are fortunate to have such outstanding senior leadership,” Reese said. “For us, it?s preparing to step out [today] and play our best game yet this season. We have had our ups and downs this season. The rest will take care of itself.”
