No. 7 Maryland women’s lacrosse season preview

No. 7 Maryland women’s lacrosse stands at a crossroads after failing to reach the national finals for five consecutive seasons.

Four-time national coach of the year Cathy Reese has experienced outstanding levels of success, winning five national titles and a program-leading 13 regular season conference championships during her tenure at Maryland. Her time at the helm has been 19 years of consistent dominance for a program with 14 total national championships.

However, Maryland hasn’t gotten close to its former glory in the last five years, failing to progress past the national semifinals each time.

The 2025 season ended in particularly painful fashion for Maryland. The Terps were moments away from sneaking out of their second-round matchup with Penn until the Quakers netted a game tying goal with only two seconds left on the clock. Maryland went on to drop the game in double overtime.

With the majority of her top performers returning for 2026, Reese looks to give a seemingly stacked squad newfound hunger and energy and bring it into the national tournament in her 20th season as head coach. The Terps are currently ranked No. 7 by the IWLCA preseason poll.

Key losses

Defender Sophie Halus will be the biggest loss on defense. She played in 40 games over two seasons at Maryland, including starts in every game of 2025, snagging 54 ground balls and 7 turnovers. 

On the other side, Kate Sites and Chrissy Thomas will be missed in the attack. Sites appeared in 77 games over four years for the Terps, recording 48 goals and 11 assists. Thomas started 25 of her 67 games played, sniping 58 goals and registering the 10th-most career assists in Maryland history (98). 

Goalkeeper Julia Ward transferred to Florida State after backing up keeper JJ Suriano for the entirety of her freshman season. Ward appeared in relief of Suriano in six games, only allowing 13 goals in 57 minutes in the crease. Her sister, defender Lydia Ward, appeared in 10 games for the Terps. She will join her sister at Florida State this upcoming season.

Midfielder Megan Kenny will also leave the Terps for the Seminoles. Kenny appeared in nine contests, scoring a pair of goals in a win over Penn State and nabbed two turnovers of her own. 

Fellow midfielder Avery Bickell transferred to James Madison after playing three games in 2024 and redshirting in 2025. Attacker Megan MacMurray will head to Delaware after failing to appear in any game action.

Top returners

With 10 of her 12 starters returning, Reese has her most experienced core in years and will look to build upon its capabilities.

Midfielder Kori Edmondson will enter her final season after a breakout 2025 campaign. Edmondson’s team-leading 59 goals were more than enough to earn preseason First Team All American and Big Ten Midfielder of the Year honors. 

Jordyn Lipkin, Emma Abbazia and Kayla Gilmore will also return to round out one of the strongest midfields in the nation. Lipkin will likely reprise her starting role after scoring 40 goals in 20 starts for the Terps. 

Abbazia had a similarly successful 2025, notching 15 goals and eight assists from the bench as one of the Big Ten’s standout freshmen. But it’s Gilmore who may be more important, as she likely returns as a starter after earning 93 draw controls in 2025 on her way to being named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Lauren Lapointe, Maisy Clevenger and Shelby Sullivan will likely drive Maryland’s attack. LaPointe and Clevinger both excelled from the bench their sophomore seasons, combining for 48 goals and 25 assists while only starting three games. Sullivan will lead the three-pronged frontline after her 21-start season yielded 20 goals and 55 draw controls.

Once again, Maryland’s backline appears to be in solid shape as they retained graduate Kennedy Major and senior Neve O’Ferrall. Major has started every game since 2023, and she snagged 17 ground balls and two turnovers last season. O’Ferrall was named an All-American Honorable Mention after logging five turnovers and winning a staggering 34 ground balls. 

Goalkeeper JJ Suriano has proven to be a steady presence in the crease, and will look to repeat her success this season. Suriano allowed 8.9 goals per game while making 180 saves in net.

Newcomers

Reese signed 12 recruits in the offseason, with nine entering as freshmen and three coming in as transfers.

The crown jewel of the incoming freshmen is attacker Ava Meyn, a five-star recruit who was ranked No. 7 in the nation by Inside Lacrosse. Meyn was a two-time All-American and state champion in New York, where she scored 171 goals.

Meyn is followed by six four-star recruits, all ranked in the top 100. Lyla Ingrilli and Sofia Herrera will join Maryland’s defense while Catie Holmes, Leah Miller and Kylie Lamoureux will slot into the midfield. Tatum Woods will join Meyn in the attacking unit.

Of Reese’s three transfers, attackers Keeley Block and Kristen Shanahan are alluring. Block scored 42 goals for Penn last season — including a game-winner against the Terps in the regular season — on her way to second-team All-Ivy honors. Shanahan arrives from Notre Dame, where she scored 27 goals and was the team captain. 

Senior goalkeeper Caitlin Boden had solid numbers through 34 games for James Madison, but she likely won’t see much playing time behind Suriano.

Looking ahead

The Terps will take on one of the hardest schedules in the nation that will surely test their experienced roster before the postseason.

Maryland begins its season on the road on Feb. 6 at No. 13 Syracuse, before returning home for a Valentine’s Day matchup against No. 10 Virginia. Those are two of four ranked foes the Terps will battle prior to Big Ten Play. 

Maryland opens conference play on Mar. 14 in Oregon prior to a must-watch rematch against No. 9 Penn. Four of Maryland’s eight conference opponents are ranked — including No. 8 Johns Hopkins, who it faces down the stretch on Mar. 26.

Maryland will once again strive to carry home its 15th national title, but crucial changes will be needed to get the team out of its postseason slump.