Northwestern Uses Second-Half Surge to Hand Maryland its First Loss

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — Perhaps things didn’t go as smoothly as anticipated for Northwestern in the first half of the season.

Whatever the reason for it, the Wildcats appear to have figured things out.

Madison Taylor had four goals and an assist and Aditi Foster added three goals as Northwestern used a second-half surge to deal Maryland an 11-10 loss Thursday night before 2,804 at SECU Stadium.

The Wildcats (10-3, 4-1 Big Ten) have won five in a row since absorbing back-to-back losses at home against Syracuse and Ohio State last month.

“Just kind of getting that vibe where we know we have the leadership, I feel like now it was maybe evolving earlier on in the season,” coach Kelly Amonte Hiller said. “Anytime you’re a strong team, sometimes you expect things to happen and maybe we expected a little too much and we got humbled. Honestly, it was a great thing because it’s really helped us grow and learn what we need to do to get better.”

Kayla Gilmore had three goals and an assist and Kristen Shanahan and Kori Edmondson both scored twice for the No. 1-ranked Terrapins (13-1, 5-1), who were the last undefeated Division I team.

Northwestern collected four woman-up goals off five Maryland penalties, with Taylor Lapointe and Foster both doing so in a span of 59 seconds early in the fourth quarter to put the Wildcats ahead for the first time.

“Too many cards is probably the answer,” Maryland coach Cathy Reese said. “We gave up too many man-up opportunities to a team that’s really good at man-up. One of them was non-releasable and that hurt us, and there were a couple goals in that bit that we couldn’t get back.”

Northwestern eventually built an 11-8 lead before Shanahan scored with 3:42 remaining. Edmondson added a goal in traffic with 58.7 seconds to go, but Taylor won the ensuing draw control and the Terps never reclaimed possession.

It was the Wildcats’ sixth consecutive victory over Maryland, tied with Towson (1974-76) and Temple (1984-89) for the second-longest longest winning streak for any team against the Terps. Virginia took eight in a row from Maryland from 2003-07.

But more significantly than maintaining control of a conference rivalry, Northwestern also demonstrated progress from earlier in the year, when a team that added impact transfers Olivia Adamson (Syracuse), Annabel Child (Harvard), Jenika Cuocco (Drexel) and Maddie Epke (James Madison) to a roster that was already highlighted by a two-time Tewaaraton Award finalist (Taylor) stumbled three times at home.

This was hardly the breakout game for Northwestern; after all, it went to North Carolina and dealt the Tar Heels their lone loss of the year March 25. Now, after recovering from an early three-goal deficit at Maryland, the Wildcats own two of the season’s best victories.

The turnaround, Taylor said, stems in large part to staying present — an issue she acknowledges Northwestern has grappled with more this year than in recent seasons.

“We’ve learned a lot this year as a group,” Taylor said. “We’ve had a lot of ups and downs and we were really able to learn from those hard moments. I think we’ve come to realize that when we are focused and all connected and having a lot of fun, that’s when we really do play our best.”

And to be sure, the second half was especially fun for the Wildcats.

They erased a two-goal halftime hole by the middle of the third quarter and stayed within at least a goal the rest of the way. Northwestern also stymied Maryland’s offense, in part with a swarming defense that allowed just 10 shots while forcing eight turnovers after the break. They also held an 8-6 advantage in draw controls after trailing 7-2 in the first half.

“We definitely did much better,” Amonte Hiller said. “I think we had a slow start but were able to work some things out and just play with a lot of heart and get ground balls. I think possession is our best defense off the draw.”

Yet there was plenty for Maryland to take away as well, even as its best start since winning 18 in a row to begin the 2019 season — when it won its last national title — was spoiled by the Wildcats.

The Terps had won comfortably for much of the spring, with a 14-13 defeat of Penn State last month their lone one-goal game. And Reese considered Maryland’s response to Northwestern creating some separation a sign of encouragement with the postseason looming.

“Everybody had a play they wish they could have done differently or taken back,” said Reese, whose team visits Michigan and Ohio State next week. “All of it’s within our control. One-goal games are always one more save, one more goal, one better shot, one less penalty, one more draw control. For me, I’m not really going to harp on that or look at that.”

The most notable development for the Terps was Gilmore’s outing. She set a career high in goals and matched a career best in points, emerging as a more potent after entering the game with six goals on the season.

“She’s such a talented player and she’s more than just a draw taker,” Reese said. “In the midfield so far this season, she’s been just safe. She’s been kind of filling a role for us, and I need more from her. She knows that, and I told her that, and she can do it. She stepped up tonight, and she and Kori complement each other really well and when they’re both firing, they’re really dangerous and that makes them hard to defend.”

While that bodes well for the Terps, Northwestern demonstrated its staying power as well, handling a road environment against a previously undefeated team with aplomb for the second time in 16 days.

Maybe the Wildcats didn’t get the start to the season they wanted. Clearly, though, what they want at the end remains very much in play.

“When we get in those games, that’s when you tell yourself, ‘That’s why I came here,’” Taylor said. “I wanted to come here to play in those big moments and big games.”