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

While the Terrapin women's lacrosse team's offense may stand out to fans, it's the defense that has been the backbone of the team.

Going into the season, the defense was a major question mark. The graduation of defensive star Becky Clipp and the return of just one starter on the unit, senior Katie Pumphrey, were cause for concern.

But after being overshadowed by the No. 4 offense in the nation for the majority of the season, the Terps' defense became the catalyst for their two victories in the ACC/ALC Challenge. A pair of stingy performances kept the Terps' nine-game winning streak intact.

With the offense slumping for the first time all season, the defense bailed the Terps out with a 12-11 win against Penn State on Friday.

"[The defense has] always been that good," senior midfielder Kelly Kasper said. "It just proves right now how good they are. They stepped in and won the game for us. They have always been awesome."

Penn State controlled the ball for the entire first overtime, but the Terps' defense did not allow a single shot.

"We were patient, and we knew we didn't need to go and turn over the ball," Pumphrey said. "We let them make the mistake themselves. We waited for them to try to make the play, and when they started to go, we stepped out to the ball and prevented them from having any options."

Sunday's 21-6 rout of Ohio State showcased the Terp defense at its finest. The Terps forced eight turnovers despite the offense controlling the ball for much of the contest.

The Terps' surprising defense has quietly moved from the No. 22 scoring defense in 2007 to No. 10 this season, while giving up 8.67 goals per game, compared to last season's 10.13 average.

The Terps' young defense features just two seniors, Pumphrey and Megan Cassara. But the smooth transitions by sophomores Katie Gallagher and Karissa Taylor from midfield have bolstered the defense.

The Terps have allowed opponents to score in double figures just five times this season and only twice in the last six games.

With just three games remaining prior to the ACC tournament, the continued development of the Terps' defense will be instrumental if the team is going to make any noise down the stretch.

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