NCAA Tournament first round preview: Maryland women’s lacrosse vs. Robert Morris

The Terps will face the only team in the NCAA Tournament with a losing record.

Maryland women’s lacrosse begins the quest for its 15th national championship on Friday against Robert Morris.

The Terps were selected as the No. 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament, which allows them to remain in College Park until the Final Four.

The Terps sport eight all-conference players, including goalie Emily Sterling, who’s 52.6 save percentage ranks fifth in the country. They also had a perfect road record, beating multiple highly-touted opponents, such as Michigan, Johns Hopkins and Princeton.

Maryland has consistently struggled to finish opportunities, though, as it ranks outside the top 90 in shooting percentage (38.5%).

Friday’s game will begin at noon and stream on ESPN Plus.

Robert Morris Colonials (8-11, 5-2 MAC)

Robert Morris is the only team in the NCAA Tournament with a losing record. However, the Colonials clinched their second MAC Championship since joining the conference in 2020, defeating Detroit Mercy, 14-10, on Saturday.

Even with harsh nonconference results, first-year head coach Courtney Grove has led Robert Morris to its second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance, and now faces a Terps squad that has hit a slump as of late.

Players to watch

Jenna Irwin, junior midfielder, No. 4 — Irwin leads the team in goals (36) and points (45) as the No. 1 option on offense. The Catonsville, Maryland native is a two-time first-team All-MAC midfielder and ranks second on the team in draws (51).

Jordan Anderson, graduate attacker/midfielder, No. 5 — A two-time All-MAC player, Anderson leads the team in draws with 66, which ranks sixth in the conference. She also has the second-most draws in program history with 290.

Sydney Riker, junior goalkeeper, No. 34 — Riker ranks in the top 35 in save percentage (45.9%) in the country and fourth in the MAC.

Strength

Player-down defense. When the Colonials get into foul trouble, their player-down defense is the best in the MAC.

Weakness

Offensive consistency. Robert Morris boasts one of the least efficient offensives in the country. The Colonials rank 119 out of 120 teams in turnover rate, which may be problematic against the Terps’ top-15 ranked defense.

Three things to watch

1. Record book. There are several records to keep an eye on if the Terps travel far in the tournament. The most prevalent being the single-season assist record, which attacker Eloise Clevenger sits just 11 assists away from tying.

2. A worrisome home record. The Terps haven’t played a team as low in RPI as Robert Morris this season, but they have had their share of struggles at home. Entering the season, head coach Cathy Reese was 168-6 at home, yet Maryland has dropped five games at home this year.

3. A generous seeding. When Maryland earned the No. 4 seed, it came as a shock to many, as it surpassed many reliable projections. With a tough second round matchup on deck, the Terps need to work out any kinks in the first round.

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