Women's lacrosse thrashes Blue Hens in 17-8 victory

During the first half of the Terrapin women's lacrosse team's game at Delaware yesterday, a giant shadow loomed large over all but a sliver of Delaware Stadium's field.

That sun-soaked section, appropriately enough, coincided nicely with the Terps' offensive zone. Nothing, it seemed, was going to cool down the Terps' astonishingly efficient offense.

Despite matching the Blue Hens' 23 shots, the No. 1 Terps managed to easily dismantle a Delaware side playing its season opener, 17-8, and dominate every facet of the match in an overwhelming win.

"I think we were patient offensively," coach Cathy Reese said. "We were patient. We were finding our looks, and when we got good looks, we put our teammates in good position to score, so our shooting percentage was really good today. ... I thought our girls did a really good job of not forcing the ball and not taking shots that weren't there."

A number of players contributed offensively for the Terps (2-0), who jumped out to a 12-1 lead in the game's first 23 minutes.

Midfielder Katie Schwarzmann's finishing was flawless, netting five goals on five shots and tying the career high she set against Richmond on Sunday.

Forward Karri Ellen Johnson also added five goals, while sophomore Alex Aust finished with a career-high four. Forward Sarah Mollison had four points, and midfielders Bria Phillips and Danielle Kirk each scored a goal for the Terps.

"I felt we did really well today," Aust said. "We really completed our plays well. We just finished our shots."

Defensively, the Terps contained the Blue Hens' shooters for much of the afternoon. While Delaware had eight free-position opportunities, it converted only one.

Starting goalie Brittany Dipper made three saves in the first half. Mary Jordan and Kasey Howard, who split time in the cage in the second half, made two and four saves, respectively.

"I do think that we want to do a better job, as we move forward in the season, of helping each other out defensively," Reese said. "I thought we got a little lazy at times and we swung our sticks, which allowed for some easy goals by Delaware. They capitalized on their opportunities for sure."

The Terps will test their fast start Sunday in their home opener against No. 16 Penn State, their first ranked opponent this season. Nittany Lion coach Missy Doherty was a three-time national champion and former teammate of Reese during her career as a Terp.

TERP NOTE: Midfielder Laura Merrifield (shingles) did not play for the second straight game.

castello@umdbk.com