Preview: No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse gets set to battle No. 10 Denver

No. 9 Maryland women’s lacrosse (3-1) travels to Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium on Saturday to take on No. 10 Denver (3-1).  

The Terps are looking to bounce back following their recent loss to No. 11 Florida. Maryland held a 7-2 lead at halftime but the Gators ultimately came back to win 13-12 in overtime. 

“We got a good seven to two lead and then we just stopped doing what we were doing,” coach Cathy Reese said. “They clawed their way back in and credit to them for never giving up, but we got to be tougher than that and stick to what we do.” 

The Terps struggled to convert their shot opportunities, something that has plagued them throughout the year — Maryland has scored on just 35 percent of its shots this season. Reese said shooting has been a point of emphasis this week in practice, and that the percentage needs to get up to at least 50 percent to meet the high expectations she sets for her squad. 

The Terps have also failed to create many man-up or free position opportunities to make things easier on the attackers. Maryland has scored just three free position goals and four woman-up scores. 

Despite the struggles, Eloise Clevenger has shined at the forefront of the Terps’ attack. She is the only Maryland player in double-figure points with 19 assists and six goals. Kori Edmondson and Hannah Leubecker have also been critical to the Terps’ success, leading the team with eight goals apiece. 

On the other side, Denver has been phenomenal in penalty situations with 13 free position and 11 woman-up goals in 2024, accounting for 45 percent of the Pioneers’ total scores. Denver’s offense is headlined by Julia Gilbert, who leads the team with 13 goals. She has scored a hat trick in three of the Pioneers’ first four games. 

Other playmakers the Maryland defense will have to watch out for include freshman Olivia Ripple, who has scored eight goals, and attacker Olivia Penoyer, who has scored six and assisted eight goals. 

Denver is coming off double-digit victories over San Diego State and Ohio State. The Pioneers only loss was a low scoring 8-4 defeat to No. 6 Michigan. 

Denver is led by its strong defensive unit, which has only allowed 29 goals and held every opponent to eight goals or less. Reese said her offense understands the challenge but ultimately it’s up to them to go out and perform. 

“Yeah, they’re high pressure. They’re tough, they clog space, they limit opponents and they do a really good job of doing what they do,” Reese said. “We know that, but we also know what we can be capable of if we can just cross that line and take the next step.”

The Terps lead the all-time series 4-1 over the Pioneers but Denver got the upperhand 8-7 when the teams met last year at SECU Stadium. The Pioneers went on to achieve a Final Four berth in 2023 in their most successful season in school history. 

Maryland knows this year’s Denver team will be another challenge. Reese said these early season top-ten matchups are real opportunities for the Terps to grow and be battle-tested for the road ahead. 

“It’s great to have these top ranked opponents,” goalie Emily Sterling said. “It kind of pushes us to the next level.”