There was a certain level of pride in Kori Edmondson’s voice when the senior midfielder discussed Maryland women’s lacrosse’s achievements this spring, including the program’s first trip to the Final Four since 2022.
But that should not be mistaken for satisfaction.
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“There’s still work to be done,” said Edmondson, a Severn resident and McDonogh graduate. “No one’s ever played a perfect game. So it’s still in those moments just being able to make every play count. That’s kind of been a big thing for us, and we’ve been saying it a lot — just making every second count. Going 1-0 on every play, we were harping on that.”
That approach contributed to the Terps forging an 18-4 overall record — their most successful campaign since 2022 –—and earning the No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and advancing to the semifinals before getting derailed in a 16-6 setback to No. 2 seed and 2025 national champion North Carolina.
“We had a great journey,” coach Cathy Reese said. “I’m really proud of this team, their effort, how much they grew over the course of the season. I’m appreciative of our seniors and their leadership to take this team back to the Final Four, and they’re leaving the program in a better place than when they found it.”
Entering the season, Maryland returned a top-20 defense anchored by junior goalkeeper JJ Suriano, a Baltimore resident and Bryn Mawr graduate, and graduate student defender Kennedy Major, a Hampstead resident and Gerstell graduate. And the team sought to juice up an underperforming offense by plucking graduate student attackers Kristen Shanahan (Notre Dame) and Keeley Block (Penn) from the transfer portal.
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After opening with wins against then-No. 13 Syracuse on Feb. 6 and then-No. 12 Virginia on Feb. 14, the Terps added 11 more victories before suffering their first loss in an 11-10 result to then-No. 4 Northwestern at SECU Stadium in College Park on April 9. The 13-0 start fortified the players’ morale.
“I think it gave us a lot of confidence,” Edmondson said. “Obviously when you win games, it gives a lot of momentum, but I think us just stacking every practice, every game after one another and just making sure we were learning from each one was kind of where our success started to go. We were just buying into what the coaches were giving us and the game plan.”
Unlike previous iterations, the 2026 version did not run over opponents. Maryland’s margin of victory of 2.55 goals per game was better than only six other teams that qualified for the NCAA Tournament, and the group had to overcome fourth-quarter deficits against Georgetown on Feb. 18, Johns Hopkins on April 24 in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal and Navy on May 14 in an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal.
“They never buckled, they never got real white-knuckled,” Reese said. “They just kept fighting, and so that was just a constant reminder every game. These were going to be grinders, but this team is going to fight, and they’re going to compete, and I’m proud of that.”
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Whether the Terps can replicate that success depends on how they can develop their returning players. The offense can mix junior attackers Lauren Lapointe (Glenelg) and Maisy Clevenger (Marriotts Ridge) and junior midfielder Lexi Dupcak (Broadneck) with a group of new faces that includes Florida transfer and senior attacker Gianna Monaco and incoming freshman Cayden Reese (Maryvale Prep), daughter of Cathy Reese.
The defense returns Suriano, the Division I Goalkeeper of the Year, and junior defender Annabella Schafer. The unit figures to lean on junior Fallon George, sophomore Reileigh McEnroe, freshman Lyla Ingrilli and incoming freshmen Kit Laake (McDonogh) and Toby Bergstrom, but Reese said she is not anticipating “one-for-one” replacements.
“We’ve got some people returning that are ready to rock and roll, and we’ve got a great incoming freshman class,” she said. “People are just ready to step up to the challenge. And so I think it’s an opportunity that’s out there that we’re really excited about, but I think it’s not necessarily replacing people.”
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One interested observer will be Edmondson, who graduated last month with a bachelor’s in criminology while minoring in sociology. She will play for the Women’s Lacrosse League’s New York Charging while applying to the Secret Service and acknowledged how different life will be without practicing and playing at Maryland.
“But I’m still going to be showing as much love and support as if I was on the team,” she vowed. “Still going to go to almost as many games as I can next year and go to every alumni outing and scream my head off in the stands.”
Have a news tip? Contact Edward Lee at eklee@baltsun.com, 410-332-6200 and x.com/EdwardLeeSun.
