Maryland Women's Lacrosse Gears Up For Final Four Matchup Against North Carolina Carolina

The No. 3 Terps matchup against the No. 2 Tarheels is here and set for an epic showdown tomorrow afternoon in the NCAA Semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.

UMD women's lacrosse heads back to the Final Four | NBC4 Washington | NBC4 Washington

The Maryland Terrapins women's lacrosse team takes the field once again tomorrow afternoon, where they will face off against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. The clash is scheduled to start at 3 p.m. on ESPN U.

Both teams are coming off close victories in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The No. 3 Terps defeated in-state foes, No. 6 Navy, 14-10, last week on Thursday, May 14th at SECU Stadium.

While the No. 2 Tar Heels pulled out a 14-11 victory against a tough Stanford squad, which had pulled out some shocking wins to reach the quarterfinals.

The Terps' 2026 Final Four appearance is historic, extending the NCAA women's lacrosse record for most all-time appearances to 29.

It's an incredible mark set by the Terps, who've dominated the country under legendary head coach Cathy Reese, who first joined the program back in 2007 and has yet to have a losing season.

Let's dive into some specifics regarding the Terrapins' main catalyst for getting to this position....

Stat Leaders In 2026:

The Terps' goal leaders are Lauren LaPointe, with a team-high 64 goals, and Kori Edmondson, with 48 goals. They've been the primary attackers on the offensive end, threatening defenses this season.

However, the Terps have produced a deep group this year, with 14 total players who've scored this season, four players recording 30+ goals, and five players with 50+ points.

Defensively, the back line has been patrolled by Neve O'Ferrall, Kayla Gilmore, Mady Sterling, Annabella Schafer, and Edmondson. In the net, the 2026 Big Ten Goaltender of the Year, J.J. Suriano, who sported an 18-3 record, with a .517 save %, and 216 total saves.

Terps Path To The Final Four:

Maryland had a dominant 2026 regular season, finishing with an 18-3 overall record, going 9-1 at home and 7-1 on the road. The Terps defeated five ranked teams this season: No. 13 Syracuse, No. 12 Virginia, No. 14 Princeton, No. 7 Johns Hopkins, and No. 21 Penn State.

The Terps locked in the No. 4 seed for the Big Ten Tournament, clinching a first-round bye before knocking off Ohio State and Johns Hopkins once again to meet No. 1 Northwestern in the championship. However, the Terps fell in a heartbreaking overtime loss, 8-7, to their rivals after scoring four goals in the fourth to come from behind and force overtime.

North Carolina:

The Tar Heels are the defending 2025 champions, who finished with a perfect 22-0 record. They're spearheaded by head coach Jenny Levy, who has spent 31 years with the program, and has led them to eight ACC titles in that span.

One of the most skilled players, attacker Chloe Humphrey, led the team with a career-high 102 goals, which ranked second in the nation. Humphrey also led the nation with 5.37 goals per game and 148 points.

The Tar Heels boast three other 30+ goal scorers in: Addison Pattillo (55 goals), Darcy Felter (33 goals), and Eliza Osburn (30 goals).

Maryland has to be wary of the Tar Heels' high-end offense and must take away possessions from those who take advantage of any opportunity, as the Tar Heels rank in the top five in points per game, draw controls per game, scoring offense, and scoring margin. and clearing percentage.

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