No. 9 Cavaliers Drop ACC Opener to No. 2 Maryland

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The No. 2 Maryland Terrapins used seven unanswered goals to erase a one-goal deficit and pull away from the No. 9 Virginia women’s lacrosse team, 11-5, Friday evening at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. The loss drops the Cavaliers to 2-2 on the season, while the Terrapins remain unblemished at 4-0.

Senior All-American Kaitlin Duff led the way for Virginia, notching two goals, while senior All-American Brittany Kalkstein, senior Caity Whiteley and redshirt sophomore Ainsley Baker each had one goal. Sophomore Josie Owen rounded out the scoring for the Cavaliers, dishing out one assist.

For Maryland, Karri Ellen Johnson paced the attack with four goals. Caitlyn McFadden chipped in three, while Sara Mollison had two scores and three assists.

The first half was a battle, which featured five tie scores, en route to a one-goal halftime advantage for the Terrapins. Baker won the opening draw control for the Cavaliers, in which they patiently maintained possession before Whiteley got the scoring started at the 27:37 mark.

Maryland responded at 25:26 to even the score and spark a flurry of goals within the next one-and-a-half minutes. Kalkstein converted a free position shot in the span, before Maryland notched the first consecutive scores of the game, at 24:58 and 24:04, giving the Terrapins a 3-2 lead.

Owen won the ensuing draw control and Duff was able to knot the score for the third time, with a goal at 21:40.

Maryland then added another tally at 17:38, before back-to-back goals for the Cavaliers – from Duff and Baker – pushed Virginia ahead 5-4 with 9:43 to play.

The Terrapins responded with two-unanswered goals of their own, before the Cavaliers inserted redshirt junior Lauren Benner into the cage – who came up with two crucial saves to maintain the 6-5 score heading into halftime.

The Cavaliers opened the second half by winning the draw control and running the first six minutes off the clock. A Terrapin save and then turnover gave the ball back to the Cavaliers, before controversial calls following a Virginia goal at the 19-minute mark sparked confusion on both sides. The Cavaliers had their goal erased due to a crease violation, while Maryland was called for a dangerous check. Kalkstein was able to earn the possession back for the Cavaliers, but Maryland forced a turnover and capitalized on it at the 18:04 mark with a goal.

The Terrapin attack tacked on three more unanswered scores, while Maryland’s defense held Virginia scoreless the remainder of the game, accounting for the final margin of 11-5.

Kalkstein won four draw controls for Virginia, leading the Cavaliers to a 10-8 advantage in the category, but the Cavaliers struggled throughout the midfield, especially in the second half, failing to clear the ball on three of six occasions.

In goal, Benner picked up a season-high seven saves for the Cavaliers, while Brittany Dipper had four saves for Maryland.

Virginia will look to rebound on Sunday as they head to State College, Pa. for a 1 p.m. contest against the No. 13 Nittany Lions.