Before the Terrapin women's lacrosse team met ACC foe Virginia on Friday, coach Cathy Reese expressed a desire for her squad to put together a complete game.
Through the Terps' first four games, the team had great offensive and great defensive performances, but the two had yet to fully merge in one contest.
The weekend may have satisfied Reese, as the No. 1 Terps again illustrated why they are the nation's top-ranked team in an 18-6 drubbing of No. 5 Virginia.
The Terps (5-0) should have little trouble extending their winning streak — now at 15 consecutive games — as the team hosts George Mason (1-3) this afternoon at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
Still, the game offers an opportunity for improvement. Reese often has stressed a need for the team to shore up its communication on the defensive end.
"So for us, it's trying to play good team defense, helping each other early, having our slides get there at the right place at the right time and hopefully limiting their opportunities," Reese said last week.
The defensive unit has already turned in some notable performances, including holding the high-powered Cavalier offense to its lowest scoring output this season. Goalie Brittany Dipper, one of five Terps named to the initial Tewaaraton Award watch list, recorded a season-high seven stops against Virginia and is sixth in the nation in goals-against-average.
The team's most dominant defensive effort came Feb. 20 against its first ranked opponent, then-No. 16 Penn State. The Terps limited the Nittany Lions to two goals while scoring 13 themselves, the first time in nearly eight years the team had held an opponent to two goals or fewer.
Offensively, the Terps are averaging more than 16 goals per game. Through five games, attacker Karri Ellen Johnson and midfielder Katie Schwarzmann both have 21 goals, tied for the fourth-most in the county.
Attacker Sarah Mollison continues to facilitate the attack and has broken double digits in both goals (11) and assists (13). Attacker Kristy Black and midfielder Alex Aust also have emerged as scoring threats, with nine and six goals, respectively.
For the defending national champions, Reese has said, there's no looking back at the 2010 campaign. An undefeated run to the title game still remains very much a possibility for this year's team.
"We want to continue to get better after every game, and our message to the team is to have fun doing what they're doing, love the thrill of the competition and enjoy it," Reese said. "Enjoy every second. I think if we can take care of the little things, the big ones will take care of itself."
castello@umdbk.com
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