The Terps conceded a game-tying goal with just two seconds left in regulation.
No. 6-seed Maryland women’s lacrosse thought it had hung onto victory in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Penn, until it didn’t. It was deja vu all over again in College Park.
With five seconds left in regulation, the Terps had possession and could drain the clock out. Instead, they committed a costly turnover on a misplaced pass, and Penn made it pay. Attacker Erika Chung scored with just two seconds left to force overtime.
A winner was decided in a second extra period. Chung fed the ball back across her body to attacker Catherine Berkery, who wrapped around the cage and from the tightest of angles fired the ball into the far corner past JJ Suriano.
Berkery’s improbable shot handed Maryland an 11-10 defeat Sunday afternoon, marking the end of another disappointing season for the Terps.
“That was a tough game, and we knew it’s always a battle,” head coach Cathy Reese said. “These two teams are really good and clearly for Penn to capitalize on a caused turnover in the last couple seconds of the game and score to send it to overtime shows the kind of battle this game was.”
Penn swarmed the Terps’ players with double teams all game long. The success it drew from that started on Maryland’s second possession. Chrissy Thomas looked to gain separation from her defenders on the wing, but instead, the graduate student had the ball whacked out her stick for the Terps’ first of many turnovers.
“Penn’s [defense] is athletic. They’re fast, they’re aggressive,” Reese said. “They stepped out their pressure on us. If you showed them your stick at all, they were coming up with caused turnovers and checking the ball out. We had too many. We gave the ball back to them too many times today.”
Penn struck first blood early. Attacker Anna Brandt has terrorized Maryland in the previous three meetings, combining for 13 goals. The senior capitalized on the first look within the games’ opening minute of action.
But the Terps woke up from there. Jordyn Lipkin crept open in front of goal just five minutes in, and Emma Abbazia spotted her through the traffic. The freshman delivered the pass and Lipkin tucked her shot home to open the Terps’ scoring.
Maryland’s player-up unit has struggled throughout the season, but it found success in the opening quarter. Thomas evaded her defender, and Penn goalie Orly Sedransk lost track of the ball. She made her pay, sneaking home her third score of the tournament.
With Kori Edmondson held in check throughout the first 17 minutes of the contest, Maryland got a contribution from an unlikely sources: Lexi Dupcak. The sophomore midfielder produced just one score in the Terps’ first 16 games. She matched that total in the second quarter, pushing Maryland back in front, 3-2.
Edmondson finally got on the board just 14 seconds after Dupcak’s goal, capitalizing on a free-position look. The Terps’ offense was humming, and Penn couldn’t break through.
Suriano produced one of her worst performances of her season in Maryland’s first meeting against Penn this season. But the sophomore fared better the second time around, holding Penn scoreless for an over-12-minute stretch in the first half. Suriano managed 15 saves and conceded 11 goals for a 57.7% save percentage in Sunday’s contest.
While Penn’s offense was held in check for large spells of the opening half, attacker Keeley Block kept the team afloat. The Salisbury, Maryland, product tapped into her attacking repertoire, unleashing a bullet into the top corner for the Quaker’s second goal. Block’s two first-half scores helped keep Penn within striking distance.
The Terps’ six first-half goals all came from different scorers, highlighting their continued balanced attack. But both offenses went silent in the third quarter.
Maryland committed seven turnovers in the period, part of the reason it was held to just three shots. One of those shots resulted in a Lipkin score, though. She cut into the open space in front of goal, and Abbazia once again found her. Without any hesitation, Lipkin turned and lasered her shot into the top corner. The freshmen to senior connection extended the Terps’ lead to two goals.
While Lauren LaPointe provided Maryland two scores in the final quarter, Penn wouldn’t go away. The Terps committed a costly turnover with two seconds left, allowing Penn to tie the game and force overtime.
“It’s like I said to the team in the locker room, one play doesn’t make a game,” Reese said. “We want to be better throughout, more consistently, to stack more plays than our opponents moving forward.”
Maryland fell in heartbreaking fashion in its first extra action of the season.
Three things to know
1. Sloppiness. Despite the Terps’ lethal nature in front of goal, an abundance of turnovers allowed Penn to hang around. Maryland committed 11 first-half giveaways and finished with a season-high 24. The Terps made 41 turnovers in its two tournament contests.
2. Same result, same fashion. Penn and Maryland met six weeks prior, and the game ended in nearly identical fashion. The Terps allowed goals in the final 24 seconds and two seconds to sink them to consecutive defeats against the Quakers.
3. Consecutive early tournament exits. Reese has stated the standard for Maryland is to be regularly competing in the Final Four. The Terps have missed that mark in each of the past three seasons.