STORYLINES TO WATCH
Veteran offense takes shape.
Tewaaraton Aurora Cordingley (67 G, 51 A) transferred from Hopkins, led the Terps in scoring and got them back to the Final Four after a rare one-year absence. Reese didn’t recruit the younger players returning thinking she’d have Cordingley, but the attacker’s bonus year left a mark on the Terps that she thinks will extend to 2023.
“The most important thing Aurora did was raise the level of everyone,” Reese said.
Seniors May and Hannah Leubecker (62 G, 9 A) complement one another, with May’s dodging abilities setting up Leubecker — an expert cutter and finisher — on the receiving end.
Eloise Clevenger (32 G, 21 A) played behind the cage alongside Cordingley last year and will take the reigns in 2023.
“The ball will go through her,” Reese said.
Jordan Lipkin (20 G, 9 A) and Shannon Smith (25 G, 11 A) push the pace in transition.
Will anyone score on this defense?
Maryland, which finished second in scoring defense in 2022 (7.81), likes to boast about being Defender U on social media — and the Terps aren’t trolling. Winning seven Big Ten Defender of the Year nods in seven seasons in the conference gives Maryland the right to brag. Its most recent winner, Bosco, is back this season, and the best got better.
“She has more in her,” Reese said. “I feel like the ball hits the ground, and it’s hers, and she’s huge in transition.”
Bosco will be joined by a former foe in Donovan — the two were once on opposing sides of the fierce Penn-Princeton rivalry. In addition to factoring into the defense, Donovan will help Shaylan Ahearn (115) on the draw.
Starters Brianna Lamoreux, Aiden Peduzzi and Maddie Sanchez all return, and the defense gets even more depth from Clancy Rheude, who transferred from Albany and redshirted in 2022, and Kennedy Major, a touted rookie defender.
No, really. Will anyone score on this defense?
Maryland’s 1v1 defense puts on a clinic each game. But when it gets past some of the game’s top defenders, offenses have to contend with Sterling. Her return sets Maryland apart from many of its top-five peers. Other powerhouses like UNC, Northwestern and Stony Brook will break in a new netminder in 2023 — either a rookie or a transfer. But Maryland brings back its star, who finished second nationally in save percentage last year.
“We’ve seen the importance of goalies in the era of having shot clocks,” Reese said. “Teams have to shoot. To have that last line of defense be a keeper like Emily Sterling — it makes me smile thinking about it.”
But Sterling is more than the nation’s best stopper — she has acute field vision and IQ and serves as a true anchor for the defense.
“We have a talented and tough defense and a great goalie who can lead from behind,” Reese said. “It’s a great foundation to head into the season.”
ENEMY LINES
WHAT RIVALS ARE SAYING ABOUT THE TERRAPINS
“They’re pretty scary this year. Defensively, returning the Big Ten Defender of the Year. They obviously played the transfer portal. If they can get the players to mesh like they did last year, they’re going to be very successful. They’re going to be hard to score goals against. Offensively, they bring back a lot of firepower. From top to bottom, they may have one of the most talented rosters in the country.”
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There may be no team that is more excited to see the season disruptions of COVID in the rearview mirror than Maryland. In 2019, the Terps finished ranked No. 1 in both opponent-adjusted offense and opponent-adjusted defense. Their draw unit was fifth and their goalies were second. In 2022, those ranks were third, seventh, seventh and first. In between were two forgettable seasons, at least relative to the standard that Cathy Reese has established in College Park.
Lacrosse Reference Glossary
