Maryland women’s lacrosse bests struggling Georgetown, 13-7

Hannah Leubecker ran past two defenders and rifled a shot past the head of goalie Leah Warehime. The goal was the fifth of a six-goal-scoring run in the third quarter that squashed any chance of a Georgetown comeback.

Maryland women’s lacrosse (8-1, 1-0 Big Ten) earned its fifth straight win, beating Georgetown (2-8) 13-7 in Washington D.C. on Wednesday.

Georgetown’s offense struggled recently, scoring a combined 19 goals over its last three games. The Hoya offense continued its downward spiral.

Maryland goalkeeper Emily Sterling allowed just four goals following a three-goal first quarter. Sterling finished the afternoon with nine saves to seven goals for a .563 save percentage. It was her fifth straight game .500 or above.

“We had some really good defensive stops,” coach Cathy Reese said, “We shaded really well in the center circle. We shot better today than we have as we’ve gotten through the season so definitely making progress.”

Kori Edmondson and Leubecker scored back-to-back goals a minute apart to give Maryland an early lead in the first. Both were coming off hat tricks in Maryland’s win against Ohio State last Saturday.

The pair scored again in the closing minutes of the quarter to gain a 5-3 lead after the two sides traded goals. 

Leubecker continued her scoring and added two more in the second-quarter. The Terps’ leading scorer had a season-high five goals on nine shots, her fourth time this season with three or more.

Chrissy Thomas and Edmondson scored in the opening minutes of the second half to give Maryland a four-goal lead.

Eloise Clevenger added another goal on a man-down opportunity halfway through the third quarter. The senior dished three assists, leading the team in points with four.

“We’re confident that everyone that is on the field can score,” Shaylan Ahearn said. “It’s really hard to scout a team that has six different goal scorers in a quarter. I think it just goes to show that everyone is a threat.”

The Hoya’s defense allowed double-digit goals in every game of its eight-game losing streak, including 14 goals in each of the last two games. 

Warehime was busy and defended 24 shots on goal from Maryland’s offense. The junior finished with 11 saves, good for a .458 save percentage, her fourth-highest of the season.

The Hoya offense found some success again in the fourth quarter. Midfielders Tatum Geist and Maley Starr scored in the first six minutes to cut the Maryland lead to six. It was the only scoring for either side in the fourth.

The win extends a 14-game winning streak against Georgetown, spanning back to 2007. Maryland returns home for their second conference matchup of the season and faces Rutgers on Sunday.