No. 3-seed Maryland women’s lacrosse looked nearly untouchable in the first quarter of its second round bout against Rutgers. The Terps returned to their high-volume scoring ways in the first half Sunday, devastating the Scarlet Knights’ backline to cruise to a 11-8 win in the Shell.
But after the victory, knowing the journey was not yet over, Maryland goalkeeper JJ Suriano was far from satisfied.
“We always talk about [improving] communication,” Suriano said after the game. “Every now and then we’ll
have a lapse, and it’s bound to happen.”
The Terps look to improve their communication and connectedness as they head into one of their biggest challenges yet, taking on nearly-undefeated Navy in a contentious quarterfinal matchup.
Maryland will look to down the Midshipmen and earn its first semifinal bid in four years Thursday at 5 p.m. The game will be played in SECU Stadium and air on ESPNU.
Navy Midshipmen (20-1, 8-1 Patriot League)
Maryland head coach Cathy Reese will see a familiar face looking down the sideline, facing off against her former coach Cindy Timchal. Timchal is often regarded among the greatest coaches of all time, and her eight national titles remain the most of any coach in Maryland athletics history.
Her 613 career wins are by far the most in collegiate lacrosse history, and she has brought that same pedigree from College Park up I-50 to Annapolis. Navy is the first and only team to achieve 20 wins this season — its lone loss came at the hands of then-No. 22 Loyola (Md.), 19-14.
Players to watch
Alyssa Chung, sophomore attacker, No. 18 — Chung had already put together an impressive resume as a freshman, when she was a 2025 USA Lacrosse All-American honorable mention. In just her second season at Navy, the Tewaararaton Award finalist leads the Midshipmen with 111 points on the season, and her 3.71 goals per game sit at eighth in the nation and second in the conference.
Maura Murphy, senior attacker, No. 32 — With the Patriot League containing some of the top draw takers in the nation, Murphy has cemented her name as one of the best. Her 173 draw controls this season rank third in the conference and eighth in the nation as she looks to challenge Kayla Gilmore in the circle Thursday.
Mikayla Williams, junior midfielder, No. 9 — On a roster full of specialized players, Williams’ season has been the blueprint of what a balanced midfielder looks like. The junior has logged a respectable 38 goals and 24 assists this season while also snagging 16 ground balls and 31 draw controls.
Strength
Goalscoring. Led by Chung — along with Emma Kennedy and Taylor Miles — Timchal has assembled one of the deadliest attacking cores in the country. Navy’s offense leads the Patriot League with 15.9 goals per game, providing a big push behind its +159 goal differential.
Weakness
Experience against top teams. The Midshipmen went 3-1 against ranked opponents during the regular season, but none of those opponents finished the season in the top 10. Navy was forced to crawl back from a huge deficit against a top-10 opponent in Syracuse Sunday, a team Maryland beat by four goals in the regular season.
Three things to watch
1. Kori Edmondson’s milestone. With a pair of goals against Rutgers, the midfielder tied her head coach on the Terps’ all-time points leaderboard. Expect to see Edmondson pass Reese Thursday, as the senior has tallied at least one point in all but one game this season.
2. Streaky Suriano. After a rough performance in a narrow conference tournament win over Johns Hopkins, the junior has hit her stride. Suriano posted a 57.9% save percentage over her last two performances, and will need to be in top form again against a Navy team that averages 35.4 shots per game.
3. Struggling stickwork. Reese has pinpointed stickwork as a big weakness for Maryland all season long, and its 47 turnovers in its last three contests are a testament to her observations.
“We’re talking just a lot about our stick work,” Reese said. “Whether that’s on the offensive end, making our decision making inside, whether it’s on our clearing through, whether it’s off the draw, control our eight-meter opportunities or man-up opportunities.”
