Diamondback Online - The University of Maryland's Independent Daily Student Newspaper

Great teams often have the luxury of breaking out to a big lead and then resting their stars.

For the Terrapin women's lacrosse team, that luxury has become a double-edged sword.

The Terps played very well in the first half against Towson yesterday, but things fell apart in a sloppy second half, and they scored just three goals. This has become an alarming trend for the Terps, who have slumped in the second half after strong starts.

"We just need to play a full 60 minutes consistently; we are not," senior midfielder Kelly Kasper said. "We just need to all get on the same page and play consistently."

The Terps' offense has exploded out of the gate throughout the season, averaging 9.1 first-half goals while allowing just 3.5. No. 4 Virginia and No. 5 Duke are the only teams that have provided any real test for the Terps.

The team has averaged 6.7 goals in the second half - including that dismal three-goal performance.

All season the Terps have had to deal with the problem, but the Towson game seemed to be the last straw. Coach Cathy Reese kept the captains, Kasper, senior midfielder Dana Dobbie and senior defender Katie Pumphrey for nearly 30 minutes after the game to discuss the dismal half.

The blame shouldn't be placed on younger players receiving rare playing time, either, as starters have had a hand in the second-half slumps as well.

For a team with ACC and national championship aspirations, there is a sense of urgency to play a complete game against any opposition.

"We have to regroup and put that game behind us but also learn from it," sophomore midfielder Caitlyn McFadden said. "We need to be more disciplined and more consistent throughout the game."

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