COLLEGE PARK, MD – No. 2 seed and No. 7-ranked Maryland women's lacrosse defeated No. 3 seed and No. 12-ranked Michigan, 13-10, in the Big Ten Tournament Semifinals at Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex on Friday. The Terps have now made the Big Ten Tournament Championship in every year except 2015 and 2024 since joining the conference in 2015. They improved to 14-4 overall, winning seven of their last eight games and picking up their fifth win over a ranked team this season.
Maryland will play No. 1 seed and No. 3-ranked Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament title game at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex on April 27 at 4 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
The Terps opened the game on a 3-0 goal-scoring run and never surrendered their lead, although the Wolverines (12-6) tied the game at three separate points. Tied at 6-6, Maryland sparked another 3-0 run to lead 9-6 at the 13:50 third quarter mark with goals by Kori Edmondson, Kate Sites and Jordyn Lipkin. The trio finished with hat tricks, and Maryland led from that point to the final horn.
Lipkin tallied a team-leading four goals, Edmondson posted three goals and an assist and LaPointe added three goals. It was Edmondson's 29th career hat trick and team-leading 12th of the season. Lipkin posted her 10th career hat trick and sixth of the season. LaPointe earned the sixth hat trick of her career and her fifth this season.
Sophomore goalie JJ Suriano was crucial in the win. She made a career-high tying 13 saves between the pipes, several of which came on the doorstep. She was helped by
Kennedy Major and
Maddy Sterling, who each caused a defensive turnover.
Kate Sites (2 goals & 1 assist) and Chrissy Thomas (1 goal & 2 assists) also helped lead Maryland's attack. Thomas tied Taylor Cummings for 11th place on Maryland's all-time assists list, with 94 career dimes.
Maryland is now 15-5 all-time in Big Ten Tournament games and 30-7 in conference tournament games overall under head coach Cathy Reese. It also improved to 13-0 all-time against Michigan.
Reese's Take
"This has been a really just emotional season and a lot of fun," Reese said. " think these guys have really embraced every challenge that's been thrown at them. For us to come out and battle, I mean, tonight's game was a battle. ... Michigan is a really good team, and we had a two goal game with them earlier in the season. These two teams battled in every area today, on the draw controls, on the defensive end, on the offensive end, both goalies played really well."
Breaking Down The Action
- The Terps and Wolverines were tied at 3-3 entering the second frame. Maryland got off to a 3-0 lead with goals by Kate Sites, Kori Edmondson and Lauren LaPointe. However, Michigan rallied for three of its own goals.
- Maryland led Michigan 8-6 at the break. Sites, Edmondson and LaPointe added second tallies, and Jordyn Lipkin and Chrissy Thomas entered the scoring column. Edmondson and Sites' second occurred in the final 4:30 to break a 6-6 tie. Goalie JJ Suriano had five saves.
- The Terps stretched their lead to 12-8 entering the final frame. Edmondson, LaPointe and Lipkin all notched hat tricks. Suriano had already reached double-digit saves.
- Maryland held on with a final tally by Lipkin. The Wolverines threatened with three goals in the final, but the Terps came away with the win.
Hat Trick Terps
Multi-Terps Update
- Jordyn Lipkin (4 goals) recorded the 25th multi-point game of her career. It was her 23rd with multiple goals.
- Kori Edmondson (3 goals & 1 assist) recorded multiple points for the 41st time in her career. She has scored multiple goals 39 times.
- Lauren LaPointe (3 goals) notched the ninth multi-point game of her career. It was her eighth career game with multiple goals.
- Kate Sites (2 goals & 1 assist) posted the 15th multi-point game of her career. It was her 12th multi-goal game.
- Chrissy Thomas (1 goal & 2 assists) had the 38th multi-point game of her career.
B1G Tourney Time
- Maryland is now 15-5 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament and has made the championship game in every season except for 2015 and 2024 (excluding 2020, where the Big Ten Tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).
- The Terps have four Big Ten Tournament championships, winning in three straight seasons from 2016-18 and 2022.
- Maryland has won 15 Conference Tournament Championships in program history, with 10 of those coming since Cathy Reese became the head coach in 2007 (six ACC, four Big Ten). The Terps took home six-straight ACC titles from 2009-14 and three-straight Big Ten titles from 2016-18.
- Reese is 30-7 as the coach of Maryland in conference tournament games.
Home Cooking
- Maryland is 181-12 at home under head coach Cathy Reese. It has eight undefeated home campaigns in the last 11 seasons (2013-19 and 2021).
- The Terps have only lost two conference home games under Reese.
Dominating The Series
- This marks the 13th meeting between Maryland and Michigan. The Terps have historically controlled the series, leading 13-0 over the past 10 years. The two teams first met in 2015, with Maryland earning a 14-9 victory.
- The Terps previously defeated Michigan in the regular season, 14-12, on March 16. Kate Sites posted a hat trick in the first quarter before finishing with a career-high tying four goals to lead the Terps.
Numbers To Know
- 2: The Terps are the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
- 5: Suriano has five games this season with 10 or more saves.
- 5: This was Maryland's fifth win over a ranked team this season.
- 6: LaPointe has six hat tricks in her career, including five this season.
- 7: Maryland has won seven of its last eight games.
- 7: The Terps are ranked No. 7 in the Inside Lacrosse/Women's Coaches Association Top 25 Poll.
- 8: This is the eighth Big Ten Tournament Championship appearance for the Terps.
- 10: Lipkin has 10 hat tricks in her career, including six this season.
- 11: Thomas is tied for 11th all-time on Maryland's assists list with 94 assists.
- 13: Maryland is a perfect 13-0 against Michigan all-time.
- 13: Suriano tied her career-high with 13 saves.
- 15: Maryland is 15-5 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament.
- 21: Edmondson has 21 straight games with a goal.
- 30: Reese is 30-7 as the coach of Maryland in conference tournament games.
- 33: The Terps have scored 33 hat tricks as a team this season.
- 29: Edmondson recorded her 29th career hat trick and her 12th of the season.
- 35: Thomas leads the Terps with 35 assists.
- 51: Edmondson has 51 goals to lead the Terps.
- 61: Edmonson leads the Terps with 61 points.
- 181: Maryland is 181-12 at home under Reese.
- 802: Maryland is the winningest Division I women's lacrosse program, with 802 wins.
Up Next
- Maryland will play No. 1 seed and No. 3-ranked Northwestern at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex on April 27 at 4 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
