No. 2-seed Maryland ladies’s lacrosse and No. 3-seed Boston School had a solution for each punch thrown in one another’s route. With a spot within the nationwide championship on the road at Homewood Discipline in Baltimore, the 2 sides jostled for momentum down the stretch.

Each groups traded objectives like clockwork within the second half, however it was Boston School who pieced collectively 4 straight at an important time. With 3:06 remaining, a purpose by the reigning Tewaaraton Award winner Charlotte North, her sixth of the sport, knotted it up at 16.

Then, a expensive turnover by Maryland arrange the reigning nationwide champs with an opportunity to win the sport with 5 seconds separating the shot clock and sport clock.

Redshirt junior midfielder Cassidy Weeks was the one to stay the dagger in Maryland’s hearts, scoring with 18.8 seconds left to depart the Terps useless within the water.

It was a brutal collapse for Maryland down the stretch as its stellar season involves a crushing finish within the nationwide semifinal, 17-16, on Friday night.

“There have been some moments the place inexperience confirmed,” head coach Cathy Reese stated. “When it acquired slightly tight I believed we had been slightly hesitant. Kind of acquired caught again on our heels as an alternative of ahead on our toes.”

Boston School held Maryland in examine through the opening moments of the sport. Its Twelfth-ranked protection face-guarded graduate attacker Aurora Cordingley and put others out of rhythm, main to 2 turnovers — an eery foreshadow to Maryland’s late-game collapse.

In the meantime on offense, the Eagles fired off six photographs earlier than the Terps may even get on the board. The injury was restricted to a single purpose because of a trio of saves by junior goalkeeper Emily Sterling, however a fast response following junior attacker Libby Could’s equalizer put the Terps in a 2-1 gap.

The Eagles’ prowess on the draw set them aside within the opening interval. A 5-0 benefit within the early going helped Boston School dominate the time of possession. Sterling and the protection saved it shut, however the offense lagged behind to the tune of 4 photographs.

Fortunately for the Terps, two of these photographs resulted in objectives, however struggles throughout the board saved the Eagles in entrance. Points on the draw and turnovers within the attacking third derailed Maryland’s momentum with the second interval carrying on.

Two objectives by graduate attacker North — one on a second-chance alternative and one other by way of a scorcher from the eight-meter — doubled up Maryland. It was all Boston School because it overwhelmed the Terps with 18 photographs. Nonetheless, Maryland unlocked one thing with about three minutes to spare within the second quarter.

All the sudden, Boston School misplaced its steadiness, and as Maryland closed the hole on the draw circle, the objectives got here pouring in. A four-goal run over the ultimate 3:25 of the half gave the Terps their first lead of the sport.

“Maryland gave us actually all the things we may deal with,” head coach Acacia Walker-Weinstein stated. “They had been precisely who we thought they had been: so good, so athletic, fast-paced … and clearly well-coached.”

4 completely different purpose scorers lastly backed up Sterling’s great seven-save half, resulting in a stunning one-goal Maryland lead on the break. It took a while for the Terps to get going, however their run to finish the primary half ignited a quick begin to the second half.

Cordingley sneaked a shot via a good window into the higher left nook to make it an 8-6 sport simply 27 seconds into the third interval. One other save by Sterling appeared to supply some extra offense, however the Terps got here up empty, permitting the Eagles to drag inside one.

The groups traded objectives thereafter, with junior attacker Hannah Leubecker connecting from the free place earlier than senior attacker Jenn Medjid acquired on the board after getting behind the blown protection of Maryland’s midfield.

Freshman midfielder Jordyn Lipkin scored Maryland’s tenth purpose on a Superman-style structure. However even the spotlight reel purpose couldn’t set off consecutive objectives as sophomore midfielder Kayla Martello got here the opposite solution to make it 10-9.

By quarter’s finish, the pattern had persevered.

Getting into the fourth quarter holding onto a slim 11-10 lead, a wild possession to start out the interval noticed Maryland almost flip the ball over a number of instances. With their suffocating protection, the Eagles jarred the ball free twice late within the shot clock, however the Terps stayed centered.

After all of the chaos, Leubecker got here out of the fray with the purpose. The junior collected herself after dropping possession, scooping up the bottom ball and utilizing her velocity to wrap round two defenders for the rating alongside the fitting facet.

Sophomore attacker Eloise Clevenger snatched the elusive three-goal lead for the Terps a minute later — establishing a back-and-forth stretch that gave Maryland a number of three-goal leads with fewer than 10 minutes to play.

Just a few extra back-and-forth sequences saved the Eagles at bay. Nonetheless, an important stretch by Medjid and North gave Boston School precisely what it was searching for. Their consecutive objectives minimize it to a one-goal sport with simply over 5 minutes to play. Then, North did it once more, tying the sport for the primary time since simply earlier than halftime.

The ultimate nail within the coffin got here following a turnover by Leubecker — Maryland’s seventeenth of the evening. Weeks got here down the opposite method with seconds to spare, firing within the game-winning purpose to ship the Terps dwelling.

Regardless of main for everything of the second half, the second grew to become too large for the inexperienced Terps because the Eagles saved their title protection intact.

“I don’t assume our mindset modified, I don’t assume something apart from that scoreboard actually modified,” junior midfielder Shaylan Ahearn stated. “I feel all of us performed our hardest. We had been taking part in as a workforce they usually acquired the higher hand of us right this moment.”

Three issues to know

1. Essential runs had been the distinction. Regardless of the entire back-and-forth on this one, it got here right down to a handful of runs that modified the trajectory of the competition. Boston School began off scorching, then Maryland responded to finish the primary half. The 2 traded objectives all second half apart from a two-goal spurt by the Terps to start out the fourth interval. However in the long run, the Eagles pieced collectively a run of their very own to drag the victory out from beneath Maryland.

“Falling quick on the finish hurts, however tremendous pleased with all of those guys and what they’ve achieved this season,” Reese stated.

2. Draw controls reigned supreme … till they didn’t. Usually, draw controls result in objectives. That was the case for the primary 52 minutes. Late within the fourth, Maryland secured three straight attracts, but it nonetheless let up objectives on every of these occurrences. It was turnovers that did the Terps in, with every of these possessions gained on the draw ending with a turnover within the attacking third.

“We talked about their stress the entire sport and positively on the finish of the sport they stepped it up,” Leubecker stated. Ahearn added, “Within the warmth of the second, a couple of didn’t go our method. [They made us] do one thing completely different than we usually would.”

3. Maryland proved they’re proper the place they need to be. Getting into the season ranked ninth within the nation and coming off a second-round loss within the 2021 NCAA Event, the Terps had their justifiable share of doubters. However this season proved that the Maryland dynasty isn’t going away anytime quickly. Regardless of the loss, the younger crop of gamers at Reese’s disposal proved that they belong within the highlight of collegiate lacrosse.

“All of us have one another’s again it doesn’t matter what, on and off the sector,” Ahearn stated. “You’ll be able to see that in the best way we play, you possibly can see that in the best way that we have fun, you possibly can see that in the best way that we’re upset proper now. However there’s nothing that’s gonna cease us once more. We’re hungry.”