UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.- Penn State Women's lacrosse earns its 11th win of the season with a 12-7 final score against No. 10 Maryland. This marks the Nittany Lions' first top-10 win since 2021 against the Terrapins while also snapping Maryland's current nine-game winning streak this season.
Penn State improves to 11-4, 3-2 Big Ten while Maryland falls to 12-4, 4-1 Big Ten.
Emma Kelly led the Penn State offense with four goals and Meghan Murray, along with Brooke Hoss followed suit with a hat trick a piece.
Ashley Bowan made a season high 10 crucial saves between the pipes while adding three ground balls. Haley Urgo took charge on defense, forcing two turnovers and scooping three ground balls.
HOW IT HAPPENED
First Quarter
The Terrapins got on the board first with a free position goal from Kori Edmondson finding the back of the net at the 8:17 mark.
Maryland struck again with a Libby May free position goal at 6:48 to put the Lions down 2-0.
The Nittany Lions responded quickly after Maryland was handed a yellow card. Hoss scored on a free position, man-down goal with 5:04 on the clock to trim the Terrapin lead to 2-1 through the end of the first quarter.
Second Quarter
The Nittany Lions climbed their way on top in the second, putting away three goals in less than three minutes midway through the quarter.
Murray and Kristin O'Neill found the back of the net on their own and Kelly finished a free position goal. The Nittany Lions held a 4-2 advantage through a 4-0 scoring run.
Maryland would cut the lead to 4-3 during a man-up advantage, with May notching her second goal of the game with 2:20 left to play in the first half.
Third Quarter
The Nittany Lions struck first into the second half, with Brooke Barger scoring an unassisted goal to extend to a 5-3 lead early in the third quarter.
Kelly picked up her second goal of the game on a free position shot at 8:02 to grow the lead 6-3.
Maryland's May scored completed a hat trick on a free position shot at 6:43 to narrow the lead 6-4. Maryland would collect a man-up goal at 3:48 to narrow the Nittany Lions lead down to one goal.
With time expiring, Kelly scored a hat-trick with :28 seconds on the clock off an assist from Kara Nealon. The Lions ended the third quarter with a 7-5 advantage.
Fourth Quarter
A minute into the fourth quarter, Murray picked up her second goal of the game at 14:01. Kelly netted her fourth goal to make it a 9-5 contest.
Maryland's Edmondson scored twice in the fourth quarter to complete her a hat trick, with both scores coming on free position shots to cut Penn State's lead to 9-7.
Hoss' second free position goal of the game put the Lions lead up to a three-goal edge with just under five to play.
Murray's hat trick goal on the free position with 3:15 to play in the game extended the Penn State edge to 11-7.
Hoss followed with a hat trick of her own with 2:46 remaining, to lift the Lions past the Terrapins with a 12-7 final score.
OF NOTE
- The Nittany Lions have won three of the last four games against the Terps after losing 16-straight.
- Penn State held Maryland to its lowest goal total since 1997 when it defeated Penn State 6-2.
- This is the Nittany Lions first top-10 win since defeating the Terrapins in 2021.
- O'Neill continued a 19-game scoring streak.
- Urgo had a career high five caused turnovers.
- Kelly notched her second hat trick of the year, Murray scored her fourth this season and Hoss had her fourth.
- Penn State snapped Maryland's nine-game win streak and handed it, it's first Big Ten loss of the season.
UP NEXT
The Nittany Lions conclude the regular season at John's Hopkins on Saturday, April 22. First draw is set for noon.