COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Coming off the program's second straight NCAA Championship, head coach Cathy Reese announced the Maryland women's lacrosse team's schedule for the 2016 season Thursday.
“We are so excited to get the season started,” Reese, who is the reigning IWLCA National Coach of the Year, said. “I think we have some a lot of strong opponents and our team is ready for a challenging season. Our fans will get to see some great, high-level lacrosse this year.”
The Terrapins will face 11 programs that competed in the 2015 NCAA Tournament and finished the season ranked in the final IWLCA Coaches' Poll. Six of Maryland's opponents were ranked in the top 10.
The Terps start the season in College Park, hosting William & Mary on Feb. 13 and Georgetown on Feb. 20.
Maryland travels to Chapel Hill for a rematch of the 2015 national championship game against North Carolina on Feb. 27. After hosting Hofstra on March 5, the Terps hit the road for three games at Syracuse (March 12), Florida (March 19) and Penn (March 23).
The team returns to College Park for a four-game stretch. The Terps take on James Madison on March 26 and open Big Ten play against Northwestern on March 31. Maryland faces Cornell on April 2 and future Big Ten foe Johns Hopkins on April 6.
The Terps travel to New Jersey for a pair of games, first at Rutgers on April 9 before facing Princeton on April 13.
Maryland hosts its final home games against Ohio State on April 16 and Virginia on April 20. The Terps close the regular season on the road, taking on Michigan on April 23 and Penn State on April 28.
Northwestern will host the Big Ten Tournament in Evanston, Ill., from May 5-8. The NCAA first and second rounds will take place May 13-15 at campus sites while the third round will be on May 21. The Final Four returns to PPL Park in Chester, Pa., from May 27-29.
The Terps posted a 21-1 record in 2015, including a 5-0 Big Ten record, en route to the program's 13th national championship. Maryland returns five starters in 2016, including three All-Americans and two-time Tewaaraton winner Taylor Cummings. The No. 2 recruiting class of 10 freshmen will also look to contribute immediately.
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