No. 4 Maryland Closes Out Conference Play Against No. 24 Penn State - University of Maryland Athletics (2024)

• Maryland looks to build momentum after taking down No. 8 Johns Hopkins on Wednesday night, 13-8.
• Lauren LaPointe had a career night with three goals and an assist against the Blue Jays to lead the Terps in scoring. Kori Edmondson added three of her own, while Chrissy Thomas, Libby May, Eloise Clevenger and Hannah Leubecker put up multi-point performances.
• The 2024 schedule consists of ten non-conference and six conference matchups. The Terps own a strong strength of schedule with ten opponents ranked in this week's IWLCA Top 25. Out of those schools, five sit in the Top 10 including conference opponents Northwestern, Michigan and Johns Hopkins.
• Closing out conference play, the Terps own the best conference record at 4-1, closely followed by Northwestern and Michigan at 3-1. Maryland collected wins against Ohio State, Rutgers, Michigan and Johns Hopkins.
• Maryland led the Big Ten with six nationally broadcast games this season. Five games aired on Big Ten Network, including three home contests and Wednesday's aired on ESPNU.

• The Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex completed renovations this fall, achieving a comprehensive enhancement of the facility transforming the existing 5,500 square foot facility into a 17,193 square foot team house.
• The facility features larger, separated locker rooms for Field Hockey and Women's Lacrosse student-athletes with spacious team rooms with all-new technologies, an increased Sports Medicine room with new rehabilitative and recovery equipment, inclusive of hydrotherapy space, a signature lobby to recognize and celebrate the championships and success of both programs, a relocated fan entrance for ease of access to the complex seating areas and a second floor addition with coaching offices and meeting spaces.

A championship facility. Welcome to The Plex. pic.twitter.com/oN1MCiEeef

— Maryland Women's Lacrosse (@MarylandWLax) December 8, 2023

• Hannah Leubecker leads Maryland in scoring with 37 goals. She ranks second in points behind Eloise Clevenger who leads the team in points (61), as well as assists 43. She averages 3.07 assists per game, leading the Big Ten, and 4.36 points per game ranking fifth in the conference. Her assists per game average ranks eighth in the nation.
• Maryland owns one of the best defensive reputations in the country and has consistently proven why. They currently rank second in the conference and eighth in the nation in scoring defense (8.36).
• Shaylan Ahearn, Meghan Ball and Shannon Smith combine for 79 percent of the 206 team draw controls. Ahearn leads the team with 68 draws, followed by Ball with 54 and Smith with 41. Smith grabbed a career-high 11 draws against the Blue Jays on Wednesday.
• Ball has been a dominant presence on defense for the Terps. She ranks third in the conference in caused turnovers per game (1.79) and ninth in ground balls per game (1.93).
• Emily Sterling continues her high caliber play in the cage. She owns the third-best save percentage in the country of .538. Sterling leads the conference in saves per game (9.93)

• The Terps have won 10 Big Ten titles (six regular season championships (2015-19, 22) & four tournament championships (2016-18, 22) and 31 conference championships in total, winning 21 in the ACC (10 Regular Season, 11 Tournament).
• In nine seasons in the Big Ten (no 2020 due to COVID-19), Maryland is 49-8 in Big Ten regular season play and 62-11 overall including the Big Ten Tournament.
• 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 B1G titles from 2016-18. Reese is 27-6 as the coach of Maryland in conference tournament games.
• The Terps have won 24 Big Ten conference player of the year awards (four attacker, five midfielder, seven defender, six goalie, two freshman) in eight years in the conference. Cathy Reese has been named the Big Ten Coach of the Year four times (2016-19).

• Head Coach Cathy Reese enters her 18th season at the helm of Maryland women's lacrosse. The winningest coach in program history, Reese is 328-44 as head coach and has led the Terps to five National Championships, 12 Final Fours and 22 Conference Championships.
• Maryland is 171-9 at home under Reese, with eight undefeated home campaigns in the last 11 seasons (2013, '14, '15, '16, '17, '18, '19, '21).
• Reese is the fifth all-time winningest active head coach and the fifth-winningest coach of all-time in Division 1 women's lacrosse at 358-73. Former Maryland head coach Cindy Timchal is the all-time winningest women's lacrosse coach with 573 wins.

• Maryland leads the all-time series with Penn State 44-17-1 and has won 18 of the last 21 meetings.
• Maryland has defeated Penn State in the 2019 Big Ten Semifinals, 2018 Big Ten Championship and 2017 National Semifinals.
• Penn State Head Coach Missy Doherty played at Maryland from 1994-97, winning three national championships. Doherty and Reese were teammates from 1995-97.
• The last time these programs met in College Park, Maryland secured a 13-6 victory. Emily Sterling had a standout performance in goal, collecting 13 saves. Eloise Clevenger scored her first career hat trick against the Nittany Lions.