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After two unexpectedly close unranked matchups, No. 3 Maryland women’s lacrosse looks to settle back in against its third ranked opponent of the season.
The Terps haven’t played since an early-afternoon matchup last Friday at Saint Joseph’s. The Hawks kept the bout close to the final whistle, with the deficit shrinking to a single goal early in the fourth quarter. A stellar five-goal performance from Lauren LaPointe was all that kept Maryland from losing its undefeated record in shocking fashion.
“We were able to fight through when things weren’t going our way, and I’m just proud of our effort for that,” head coach Cathy Reese said after the win.
Maryland now moves on to face Princeton. The Tigers have plummeted down the IWLCA rankings after a loss to Rutgers and look hungry for a win.
The game will take place on Saturday at 3 p.m. at SECU Stadium and will stream on Big Ten Plus.
No. 14 Princeton Tigers (1-1, 0-0 Ivy League)
2025 record: 16-4, 6-1 Ivy League
Entering her fourth year at the helm, head coach Jenn Cook is looking to build off of the 2025 season, Princeton’s best finish during her tenure. The Tigers’ NCAA Tournament quarterfinal loss to eventual-champion North Carolina was the squad’s farthest journey since 2019. They also earned the regular season Ivy League championship with a nearly-perfect conference record.
Princeton entered the season ranked above Maryland in the No. 6 slot, but a 15-9 loss to unranked Rutgers was enough to drop them down eight slots. The Tigers will look to prove the IWLCA coaches poll wrong on Saturday.
Players to watch
Meg Morrisroe, junior attacker, No. 3 – Although somewhat one-dimensional, Morrisroe has been the driving force behind Princeton’s attack this season. With 10 goals on just 12 shots, the junior has settled into her starting role as one of the nation’s most effective goalscorers — she accounts for 40% of the Tigers’ goals through their first two games.
Abigail Roberts, senior defender, No. 1 – After earning Second Team All-Ivy honors two years in a row, Roberts looks to continue her dominance on the backline in her final season. The defender leads Princeton in caused turnovers (2) and ground balls (6) while also corralling four draw controls.
Jami MacDonald, senior attacker, No. 17 – MacDonald served as Princeton’s secondary scorer in 2025, and she is its most balanced attacker so far this year. The second team All-Ivy honoree logged five points against Loyola Maryland, and she will need to be successful for her team to secure a win over the Terps.
Strength
Shots per game. The Tigers average 31.5 shots per game, good for third in the Ivy League. Maryland has continually struggled with shot differential this season and could be vulnerable against Princeton. But Reese may not be worried about this.
“If you can force them to take the shots that you want, then you’re going to come up with the saves that you can make.” Reese said.
Weakness
Inexperienced leaders. Following the 2025 graduation of Princeton’s all-time leading goalscorer McKenzie Blake, the Tigers’ squad has been left with a gaping 89-goal hole to fill. This has caused limited variety on offense as only six players have scored multiple goals. If MacDonald and Roberts are limited, it will spell certain doom for Princeton’s goalscoring efforts.
Three things to watch
1. Kennedy Major’s return. The backline captain’s absence was a huge blow to Maryland’s goal prevention against Saint Joseph’s. Cutters that Major would normally stymie freely entered the arc and scored, ballooning the Hawks’ score far beyond expectations. Her return should be a huge boost for Maryland’s defensive stability.
2. Five straight wins? With a win over the Tigers, Maryland would have a 5-0 record for the first time since 2022 — an especially impressive milestone given the Terps played three ranked teams in their opening five games.
3. What offense are we going to see? Maryland’s season has been a tale of two offenses. In their more impressive performances, goalscoring has been more of a group effort, whereas individual performances against Syracuse and Georgetown have carried the Terps when overall production is low.
Against future ranked opponents, Maryland likely can’t rely solely on standout games from singular players.