WASHINGTON — After a late evening start in the nation’s capital, No. 3 Maryland women’s lacrosse was entirely gridlocked on both sides of the ball.
The Terps were down 4-1 at the half and gave up two more scores early in the second half. Then, for attacker Kristen Shanahan and the rest of her team, the switch flipped.
“I kind of blacked out…the adrenaline kind of took over,” Shanahan said. “I always knew we were gonna win it, because I had my teammates around me.”
Shanahan scored four goals in the second half to help bring Maryland from the brink of defeat to a 10-7 victory over Georgetown.
The Terps struggled to grab possession early, and possessions were quick due to Georgetown’s defensive toughness. But the Hoyas didn’t find any success either — zero scoring occurred in the opening nine minutes.
Georgetown attacker Anne McGovern broke the opening stalemate with a limited-window snipe that prompted a quick timeout from Cathy Reese.
Maryland continued to struggle through the remainder of the first quarter, failing to induce turnovers on defense and missing crucial chances on offense.
After a pair of missed shots from Kori Edmondson and Devin Livingston, a score from Sophia Loschert gave the Hoyas a two-goal lead with less than a minute left in the period.
A pair of goals from Molly Davies and Gracie Driggs left the Terps confounded and down 4-0 with less than seven minutes left in the half. The Terps were outshot 16-5, by that point, looking physically outmatched on both sides of the ball.
Maryland finally got its first solid look with two minutes left in the half as Keeley Block rifled a shot past Leah Warehime that cut the deficit to three goals. But two missed shots later, the Terps still looked lost as the half came to a close.
The Terps led in caused turnovers at the half, but misplaced shots and passes underscored an unproductive first half for one of the nation’s top offensive units.
“Our shots weren’t falling. We couldn’t hit our eight meters, we just dug ourselves into a hole.” Reese said.
Defensive lapses saw Georgetown shell goalkeeper JJ Suriano before halftime — her nine saves were all that kept Maryland from an insurmountable deficit.
And the defensive woes continued just two minutes into the third quarter. A dropped pass by the Terps was unchallenged, picked up and fired past Suriano. Another banger from Loschert extended the Georgetown lead to five goals after another two minutes.
A putback shot by Jordyn Lipkin found the net with 11 minutes to go in the third period, but a stunning save from Warhime nullified a monster shot from Shanahan, holding the deficit at four.
Lipkin’s second of the day came at the inflection point of the quarter, with Shanahan soon adding another to shrink the deficit to two goals. The Terps looked more composed in this half and were able to maintain lengthier possessions through improved positioning behind the net.
Maryland’s backline began to hold its weight as well, as multiple passes were tipped and windows began to close. Driggs fired a shot on a woman-up opportunity with two minutes left in the quarter, but it careered off of Kennedy Major and into Suriano’s welcoming stick. Another block from Suriano as the scoreboard hit zeros held Georgetown’s lead at two with just a quarter to go.
Driggs was awarded her second goal of the game after video review, but quick strikes from Shanahan and Lexi Dupcak tied the contest. Maryland had entirely erased the five-goal deficit.
With 10 minutes to go, Shanahan drove into the arc and delivered a low shot to give Maryland its first lead of the game. The bench erupted — but it was still anyone’s game.
Then, just two minutes later, Shanahan struck again. The free position score gave the attacker her fourth goal and the Terps a two-point cushion. It was all but over after that.
With four minutes left, LaPointe found the net on a nearly identical no-angle shot to grow the lead, one that Maryland would hold for the remainder of the bout.
Three things to know
1. Come from behind. With the win, Maryland logs its first fourth-quarter comeback since 2023. The drastic turnaround resulted from a complete switch in offensive tactics and increased defensive aggressiveness.
2. Huge strides. After being benched multiple times in 2025, Suriano has emerged as one of the best netminders in collegiate lacrosse. Her 13 saves tonight were a great reminder of her development.
“She’s really taking ownership of her abilities and what she’s able to do out there, and it’s a huge backbone to our defense.” Reese said.
3. Possession was key. Maryland was highly effective on offense in the second half, outshooting Georgetown, 22-9. These opportunities were largely the result of Maryland winning nine of 12 second-half draws and holding on to the ball when it mattered most.
“There’s going to be ups and downs throughout the season…” Shanahan said. “And we were just with each other the whole entire game.”