No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse hosts No. 23 Rutgers

(Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.)

Later on a ix-day layoff, the Terps (5-3 B1G) will host the Scarlet Knights (three-5 B1G) on senior twenty-four hours in College Park.

Maryland will accolade eight seniors, including starters Brindi Griffin, Lizzie Colson, Catie May, and Hannah Warther. Seniors Grace Griffin and Tori Barretta will exist staying one more year at Maryland, taking advantage of the NCAA'south eligibility rule considering of the pandemic.

"I'm then excited," Grace Griffin said when asked nearly the senior twenty-four hour period festivities. "I love my class and I'm so grateful to have had the past 4 with them. I just want to help bring them up, be on the field with them, and just brand the most of it for them."

Once the game starts, Maryland will demand to shift its focus towards improving their play. Back-to-back losses last weekend at Northwestern gave the Terps plenty to work on over their long suspension.

"We're really going back to reinforcing the basics," caput coach Cathy Reese said about what her staff has been emphasizing in practice. "Defensively, that's good one-on-one defense and communication. Offensively, it'due south executing what we're request and finishing those opportunities."

Before last weekend, Maryland had put together an excellent stretch of team defense force, allowing less than x goals in each of the four games leading up to its ii-competition serial against Northwestern. Playing against a Wildcats team that leads the land in scoring put an end to that streak.

Rutgers is averaging just over ten goals a game and are led in scoring by sophomore midfielder Cassidy Spills (23 goals) and senior assailant Taralyn Naslonski (17 goals). Maryland's defense should take a much easier fourth dimension defending the Rutgers assault, especially given how ascendant they've been at dwelling house this season.

Maryland'due south law-breaking has also struggled with consistency this season. The Terps have had games where they have looked unstoppable, only also games in which they cannot take advantage of the opportunities they create for themselves.

"Consistency across the board has been a process this year," Reese said. "I'yard ready for u.s.a. to exist over 50% in shooting. I'm struggling because clearly I'm not doing a good plenty job because nosotros're not at that place and that's where we desire to exist."

As frustrating as Maryland'southward inconsistency has been, they accept still put up big numbers this season. Sophomore attacker Hannah Leubecker has been dominant, leading the team with 35 goals, including five this by game confronting Northwestern.

Maryland's seniors have likewise played large roles offensively this season. Grace Griffin is 2d on the team with 15 goals and she leads the team with 11 assists while Brindi Griffin and Warther each have 11 goals.

Rutgers has struggled to comprise opposing offenses this flavour and they will have their hands full on Thursday against the Terps. If Maryland can get back to the manner they were playing before Northwestern, they should come abroad with a win.

The game volition air on Thursday at v:00 on the Big Ten Network.

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Source: http://wmucsports.net/no-9-maryland-womens-lacrosse-hosts-no-23-rutgers/