In a back-and-forth contest, the Terps couldn’t get past the Scarlet Knights.
With an eighth consecutive trip to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals on the line, No. 3-seed Maryland women’s lacrosse seemed positioned to take care of No. 6-seed Rutgers at home Saturday afternoon. But Sophia Cardello and Cassidy Spilis had other plans.
In a game that featured four ties and five lead changes, Cardello made a season-high 15 saves for Rutgers in goal, including two in the final 30 seconds, to quiet Maryland’s attack. Offensively, Spilis powered the Scarlet Knights’ attack with a seemingly casual four-goal performance, helping lead her team to a 9-8 win.
“[Our shooting] has been our Achilles’ heel this year,” Maryland head coach Cathy Reese said. “We went 8-for-31 and gave a goalie those saves; that’s not going to beat anybody.”
The late-game dramatics started with freshman midfielder Payton Tini’s second goal of the afternoon, which tied the score at seven. After Maryland finally earned its first lead well into the fourth quarter, Tini worked down the right wing and beat Maryland defenseman Brianna Lamoreaux to fire the equalizer past Maryland goalkeeper Emily Sterling.
Less than two minutes later, Rutgers attacker Ava Kane nailed the game-winner with ease. The sophomore zipped right into the heart of Maryland’s defense uncovered, pump-faking a straightaway shot before going top-left over Sterling.
A score from sophomore attacker Lily Dixon gave the Scarlet Knights a multi-goal advantage before Cardello’s final goal.
In the fourth quarter’s waning moments, Maryland’s Hannah Leubecker cut her team’s deficit to one and looked poised to find a game-tying tally. She fired two shots towards Cardello in the game’s final minute, but the senior thwarted both attempts and sent Rutgers’ bench into a frenzy.
“I would like us to be able to finish the opportunities that we worked so hard to create,” Reese said.
The action started with Rutgers jumping out to a quick 4-1 first-quarter lead, holding Maryland to its lowest scoring opening frame of the season.
That lead was initiated by Spilis’ first goal. Working from the left side, Spilis spun past Maryland’s Kennedy Major and bounced a shot past Sterling — who later had a stint on the bench after an apparent knee injury.
The goal was the beginning of another strong performance for Spilis, who now ranks second amongst Division I players with 72 goals this season.
“If she catches the ball, she’s going to score,” Maryland defender Sophie Halus said of Spilis.
Three things to know
1. History in the center circle. By winning the game’s opening draw, Shaylan Ahearn became the fourth Terp to reach 400 career draw controls. Ahearn would finish the game with seven of Maryland’s 15 controls.
2. First win in College Park. Rutgers earned its first-ever victory in College Park in a series that Maryland still leads 26-2.
3. Thomas provided some big moments. Maryland senior Chrissy Thomas scored both of her goals late in the third quarter, tying the game each time. But ultimately, her team’s effort wasn’t enough.