COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Rutgers women's lacrosse (8-10, 2-6) lost to No.7 Maryland (13-4, 7-1), 17-11, on Wednesday afternoon in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament. With the Scarlet Knights down just one midway through the third quarter and three in the fourth, the Terrapins closed the game with a 6-3 scoring run in the final 14 minutes play to secure the win in College Park.
In a game that featured five lead changes, RU held leads in both the first and second quarters and trailed by just one at halftime against Maryland - ranked No. 7 in the latest IWLCA Coaches Poll. Rutgers forced the Terrapins into 10 turnovers and muscled 17 clears.
Despite UMD's 41 shot attempts, graduate student goalkeeper
Lexie Coldiron finished with a game-high 13 saves, including nine in the first half. A 2025 All-Big Ten selection and Tewaaraton Award Watch List pick, Coldiron leads the country with 196 stops in 18 starts for Rutgers.
Senior
Alexa Corbin posted a team-high four points on three goals and an assist, while sophomores Kayliegh Coughlin and
Payton Tini and freshman
Delainey Sutley all had two goals each. Juniors
Ava Chiarella and
Lily Dixon added a goal apiece.
It was all Rutgers in the first five minutes of the game, as the Scarlet Knights jumped out to a quick two-score advantage. Coughlin finished a free position attempt, while Corbin found Sutley to make it a 2-0 lead with 11:32 left in the opening frame. Maryland added a 3-0 scoring run to close the quarter up 3-2.
After UMD added a goal to open the second quarter, Rutgers punched back with a 4-1 scoring run before the break. Four different Scarlet Knights contributed, including Tini, who's unassisted score with 3:29 remaining in the first half gave RU a 6-5 lead. Maryland closed the half with two goals to take a 7-6 lead into the locker room.
Rutgers got to within one goal twice in the third quarter. Chiarella knifed her way through the Terrapins' defense with 2:09 remaining in the period, making it just a 9-8 score in favor of UMD.
Maryland began to pull away in the fourth quarter, netting six goals in the final 15 minutes for the 17-11 final.
