Maryland women’s lacrosse crumbles late, falls in national semifinal

As second-seeded Maryland confronted the defending NCAA champion, neither workforce led by greater than three objectives. The Terps held onto the benefit for a lot of the fourth quarter — till reigning Tewaaraton Award winner Charlotte North tied the rating with 3:06 remaining. And when the Eagles wanted a hero, senior Cassidy Weeks delivered the game-winner with 18 seconds to go.

Boston School’s Hollie Schleicher, who had brought about a key turnover a couple of minute earlier, then managed the draw to disclaim Maryland an opportunity to equalize.

“It’s onerous when your season ends that means,” mentioned Maryland Coach Cathy Reese, who has led the Terps to 12 of the previous 13 Last Fours. “It’s onerous when the final objective of the sport is scored with 18 seconds on the clock. It’s a heartbreaker.”

On this matchup, Maryland couldn’t seize an early lead and cruise, because it typically had this season and because it did in each earlier video games of this match. The Terps (19-2) as a substitute tried to climate 60 minutes of stress Friday afternoon at Homewood Discipline. They had been unable to place the sport away late, failing to attain within the remaining seven minutes.

Boston School will meet top-seeded and undefeated North Carolina within the nationwide title recreation Sunday at midday. The Tar Heels (21-0) wanted a ferocious rally to defeat No. 4 Northwestern within the first semifinal. North Carolina trailed by seven with 10 minutes to go earlier than a late surge of eight unanswered objectives lifted the ACC champions to a 15-14 victory.

Now the Eagles, coached by former Maryland participant Acacia Walker-Weinstein, may have an opportunity to take down the Tar Heels and repeat as champions.

Maryland started the fourth quarter with a fragile 11-10 edge. Again-to-back objectives from junior Hannah Leubecker and sophomore Eloise Clevenger gave the Terps a brief cushion, however Boston School refused to let Maryland sail to the end.

“When it obtained somewhat tight, I believed we had been somewhat hesitant,” Reese mentioned. “We struggled clearing the ball in the direction of the top of the sport there. Simply form of obtained caught again on our heels as a substitute of ahead on our toes. That was robust.”

Boston School’s protection proved to be the difference-maker in these remaining minutes, Walker-Weinstein mentioned. The Eagles tied the sport at 16 with 3:06 remaining when North, a finalist once more for lacrosse’s prime particular person award, scored her sixth objective of the day.

Leubecker, who mentioned she seen elevated strain from the Eagles late, had a turnover on Maryland’s subsequent possession, opening the door for Weeks to attain the go-ahead objective. As soon as Boston School received the draw management, the Eagles bobbed with pleasure on the sideline whereas the Terps watched in disbelief.

“We all know we are able to climb out of any gap we’re in,” North mentioned. “We are able to take the lead with any period of time left.”

The Terps leaned on all these gamers who had by no means earlier than reached this spherical of the match, and for a lot of the sport, they performed with poise. Leubecker — a part of the Maryland groups that had a canceled season in 2020 after which misplaced within the second spherical a yr in the past — scored a team-high 5 instances, however the pricey turnover helped tilt the sport within the Eagles’ favor.

Shaylan Ahearn, the junior who takes the attracts for the Terps, watched the Eagles safe all 5 makes an attempt within the circle within the opening quarter. Ahearn rebounded when Maryland wanted to cease the Eagles from dominating possession, and he or she completed with a game-high 9 draw controls — but she couldn’t safe the one on the finish that mattered most.

Ahearn and Leubecker, who every have two extra seasons of eligibility remaining, are a part of that younger core of Maryland’s workforce. Fourteen of the Terps’ 16 objectives got here from gamers who’ve performed not more than two full seasons of school lacrosse. But they’d developed by way of this season, turning into Huge Ten champions and nationwide title contenders.

“This isn’t sufficient for them,” Reese mentioned. “Dropping on this recreation wasn’t sufficient. And that’s what’s onerous. You get so far — and I get it, just one workforce can win — however I believe we had one thing actually particular.”

A rebuilding course of started after a veteran workforce received the 2019 nationwide title, so when the Terps returned to this stage after a two-year layoff, 11 of 12 starters made their first appearances in a Last 4 recreation.

These gamers had moments of excellence: Junior goalkeeper Emily Sterling, who led the nation in save proportion getting into Friday, stopped 5 Boston School pictures within the first quarter, key for the Terps with the Eagles successful all 5 attracts in that interval. Clevenger’s backhanded shot capped Maryland’s run of 4 straight objectives that handed Maryland a 7-6 lead on the break. Junior Libby Might scored three objectives with a pair of assists.

However the Terps might by no means pull a snug margin forward. As Maryland clung to a lead because the second half, Boston School and its veterans narrowed the hole. Walker-Weinstein thought of substituting Weeks out of the sport after she survived a triple-team whereas racing up the sideline. The coach turned to Weeks’s twin, Courtney, who provided assurance that her sister didn’t want relaxation.

And moments later, there she was — a senior who has carried out on this stage earlier than, able to ship the winner.