Preview: No. 3 Maryland women’s lacrosse faces Ohio State in Big Ten opener

No. 3 Maryland women’s lacrosse (6-1) travels to Columbus to take on Ohio State (6-2) in its Big Ten opener. 

The Terps are coming off a massive victory over then-No. 2 James Madison. Maryland trailed early by three but showed resilience to fight back, tying the match at the half and riding a 5-0 run to a lead that proved insurmountable for the Dukes. 

Libby May played a big part in Maryland’s offensive success, scoring four goals on five shots. May has scored 14 goals this season, tied with Hannah Leubecker for the team-high. 

Chrissy Thomas also looked sharp, dishing out four assists. Thomas has racked up 11 assists this year while adding a goal as another important piece of the potent Terps’ attack. 

Another key in Maryland’s second half success against James Madison was limiting turnovers. The Terps committed 11 turnovers in the first half but cut that down to just five in the second. 

“I think that was huge for our run in the second half,” coach Cathy Reese said. “Once we settled in and were able to just kind of catch our breath and execute what we were doing, we made some really great plays. Limiting turnovers is huge for us moving forward.” 

Maryland’s defense has been among the best in the country so far this season and delivered another impressive performance against the Dukes. The Terps held them to just eight goals, the first time this season a team has held James Madison under 15 goals in a game. The Terps are currently limiting teams to 7.43 goals per game, sixth fewest in the nation. 

Now going into conference play, Maryland feels its tough out of conference schedule has battle tested the squad to compete in the challenging Big Ten. 

“I do think that our schedule has really prepared us for what’s ahead,” Reese said. “The Big 10 is very strong, and every team is different. Our focus is really just on Maryland, what do we need to do to be better.” 

Ohio State possesses another high-scoring offense that the Terps will look to shut down. The Buckeyes have averaged 18.3 goals per game in their six wins this season, winning by an average of 10.3 goals. But Ohio State has struggled against quality opponents. The Buckeyes lost to No. 14 Denver and No. 6 Michigan by margins of ten and six, respectively. 

Senior Jamie Lasda leads the charge offensively with a team-high 26 goals and six assists. Brynn Ammerman is the facilitator for the attack, leading the squad with 16 assists while also adding 14 goals. Leah Sax, Zoe Coleman and Annie Hargraves are all also in double digits goals on the year. 

“They’re a team that likes to throw multiple different defenses and offenses out at us,” Maryland midfielder Shaylan Ahearn said. 

Regan Alexander has provided a steady presence in the cage for the Buckeyes, saving 71 shots while only allowing 63 goals. 

Maryland has dominated the all-time series against Ohio State, holding an 18-2 lead. The Terps have also won nine-straight against the Buckeyes dating back to 2015. Maryland defeated Ohio State twice last season, including in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament. 

But Reese said her team knows there are no easy victories in the Big Ten and will go out and fight with intensity every game. 

Saturday’s game is set for a 1 p.m. start in Columbus.