No. 7 Maryland women’s lacrosse thrashes No. 13 Syracuse, 9-5
· Yahoo Sports
The start to No. 7 Maryland women’s lacrosse’s season could not have been more different than its opener a year ago. The Terps were in the driver’s seat for the entirety of their matchup against No. 13 Syracuse and never looked back.
In 2025, Maryland looked hopeless in a 16-9 loss to Syracuse, fielding a rookie goalie in her very first game action. Tonight, that same goalie recorded a masterclass performance between the posts, as the Terps claimed victory over the Orange, 9-5.
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The first period could not have gone more poorly for Syracuse. The Orange stole the opening draw, but three shots missed the goal as the Terps regained possession. Over the next 15 minutes, Syracuse hit the frame four times yet failed to find the net.
Meanwhile, the Terps took complete advantage of the opportunities Syracuse gave them, opening up a 3-0 lead early.
Kayla Gilmore drew first blood off a free position opportunity in the fifth minute. The chance was just the beginning of an extremely physical first half, where both teams combined for six turnovers and five free positions.
A pair of goals from Lauren Lapointe – including one on the fourth of five penalty shots – closed out the first period as Maryland weathered an aggressive Syracuse backline.
Syracuse’s Caroline Trinkaus split the wickets to beat goalkeeper JJ Suriano and cut the Terps’ lead to start the second period. But further sloppiness on defense led to an easy score for Maryland transfer Kristen Shanahan, as goalkeeper Daniella Guyette looked lost in the crease.
In contrast, Suriano’s impact became immediately apparent after she turned Gracie Britton’s free position chance away. Another huge snag with five minutes left in the half denied Britton, and the Terps charged into enemy territory.
Despite the lead, Maryland continued to pile on late in the half. Lapointe completed a hat trick with a close-range blast; it was immediately followed up by a diving netter from Ava Meyn. The five-star freshman grinned from ear-to-ear after notching her first-career goal.
Suriano came in clutch once again as the half came to a close. Molly Guzik charged from behind the net and fired a rocket from short range. But Suriano calmly turned the offering off her chest, corralling the ball as the clock flashed zeros.
Maryland was outshot 17-13 in the first half, but it completely overwhelmed the Orange with high efficiency and expert goalkeeping.
This dominance only continued into the second half, as Suriano stuffed an attempt from Alexa Vogelman mere seconds into the period. Another denial from Suriano three minutes into the period put her save total at 11.
Trinkaus had to turn Syracuse’s offense into a one-woman show, scoring a missile from distance despite being a woman down.
Maryland’s defense took after their opponents, allowing two dangerous penalty shots within a single woman-up opportunity. A wide shot and another huge stop from Suriano rendered the penalty kill successful — and Shanahan quickly notched a brace on the other end.
Guzik finally ended her silence with just minutes left in the half before Mileena Cotter hit the post and Courtney Maclay sailed one over the frame again. Trinkaus capped off Syracuse’s trifecta of misfortune, sending her free position shot directly into Suriano with just five seconds left in the third frame.
While Suriano continued to deny shots, Maryland’s defense had difficulty confining the Orange’s attack. Following an errant pass two minutes into the fourth period, Syracuse caused its seventh turnover of the game, while Maryland posted just one.
Lapointe continued her crusade on Syracuse’s backline. She sniped a high shot from distance through a double team before sending a stinger past Guyette for her fourth and fifth goals, respectively.
These daggers appeared to motivate Maryland’s defense, as it forced Syracuse’s second shot clock violation of the match off the draw control. The Orange looked uncharacteristically hesitant in the offensive zone for a team with a reputation of aggression and physicality, failing to crack Maryland’s shell.
Kori Edmondson was very quiet on offense compared to her 59 goal season in 2025. Instead, she focused her efforts on defense and draw controls, in addition to assisting on Meyn’s inaugural score.
Cotter and Caramelli found the net within the final two minutes, but it was simply too little, too late as Maryland captured its first win of the season in dominant — and efficient — fashion.
Three things to know
1. Suriano’s sweet 16. Last season, the netminder faced Syracuse in her first ever collegiate game, giving up 16 goals in one of Maryland’s worst losses of the season. A year later, Suriano was a lifeline for the Terps, making 16 saves and only allowing five goals in one of her best performances to date.
2. Lapointe peels through the Orange’s backline. The junior attacker tied her career-high single-game scoring record with five goals in the contest. Lapointe was also incredibly accurate, as each of her eight shots were on frame, including all four free-possession attempts.
3. Efficiency is the name of the game. Head coach Cathy Reese expected an aggressive mentality from Syracuse, and she was proven right. The Orange doubled the Terps in shots, 38-19. However, Suriano’s heroics combined with constant pressure from the backline resulted in an abysmal 39.5% shots-on-goal percentage for Syracuse.