Stop us if you’ve heard this before.
The Maryland women’s lacrosse team graduated a ton of talent, including the reigning Tewaaraton winner and another Tewaaraton finalist, and therefore the Terps should take a step backward.
Yeah, we’re not buying it this time either.
Maryland must indeed replace Tewaaraton winner and IWLCA Midfielder of the Year Zoe Stukenberg, whose omnipresence in the midfield and leadership qualities were essential in the Terps’ undefeated run to their 13th NCAA championship.
Nadine Hadnagy, a Tewaaraton finalist and the IWLCA National Defender of the Year, and All-American attacker Caroline Wannen also graduated.
But Maryland’s depth is time-tested. Three-time All-American attacker Megan Whittle will be in the Tewaaraton conversation. It sure will be entertaining watching Whittle, with 214 career goals, and Stony Brook senior Courtney Murphy (246) chase the 30-year-old NCAA record currently held by Temple’s Gail Cummings (289). The Terps also can bank on IWLCA Goalie of the Year Megan Taylor, a junior, for two more seasons as they rebuild their defense.
The road to a repeat starts Sunday, when Maryland hosts Navy, the surprise NCAA semifinalist of 2017, and Florida, a perennial top-10 team.
The scrimmages in College Park highlight a weekend full of fall ball. Some other highlights:
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Louisville, dealing with massive roster turnover after granting nine players releases to transfer over the summer, continues the rebuilding process Saturday. The Cardinals are hosting Marquette and Vanderbilt in a play day.
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A trio of top-20 teams from last season — Duke, Elon and North Carolina — square off Saturday in Durham, N.C. Tar Heels senior midfielder Marie McCool, coming off a summer in which she won two gold medals (World Cup and World Games) with the U.S. national team, is a frontrunner for the Tewaaraton Award. (She’s also a team sports finalist for Women’s Sports Foundation’s Sportswoman of the Year honor.)
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UMass, which has advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament in four of the last five seasons, hosts Bryant, Dartmouth, New Hampshire and Yale in a big event Sunday.
Friday, Sept. 29
George Mason at UMBC
Saturday, Sept. 30
Marquette/Vanderbilt at Louisville
Elon/North Carolina at Duke
American/William & Mary at George Washington
Sunday, Oct. 1
UMass Fall Classic
Bryant, Dartmouth, New Hampshire, Yale and UMass
Florida/Navy at Maryland
Hofstra/Temple at Lehigh