Triumphing through the season unscathed, the University of Maryland Men’s Lacrosse team, as well as the University of North Carolina (UNC) Women’s Lacrosse team capped off their undefeated seasons each taking home the National title. The Terrapins took down the Big Red Bears of Cornell by a score of 9-7 at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut, and the Carolina Tar Heels defeated the Boston College (BC) Eagles in a 12-11 thriller at Baltimore’s Homewood Field. 

The battle of two top ACC teams ends in UNC’s favor

After a record-breaking eight goal comeback against Northwestern in the fourth quarter of the semi-final round, the Tar Heels earned their spot to compete against BC in a high caliber contest for the trophy. The Tar Heels season was as close to perfect as perfect gets. They tallied a record of 22-0, won the Atlantic Coastal Conference championship, and made it all worth it by taking the National Championship trophy home to Chapel Hill. 

Although the Tar Heels made this season look easy on paper, the fight each individual athlete played with was the key factor that propelled them toward success in the difficult season they faced. Each athlete to step onto the field in Carolina blue left all they had in the tank on the field to represent the University written across their jersey. Based upon their stellar regular season, the Heels claimed the number one spot heading into the tournament. After a first-round bye, Carolina made their way through the University of Virginia, Stonybrook, and a nailbiter with Northwestern, to face off with Boston College in the championship. For the past two years, UNC has had their season ended by the Eagles, but in 2022 their revenge would come under the national championship spotlight. For the entire first half of the game, UNC held the lead, but Charlotte North, who finished with four goals for the Eagles, wasn’t going down without a fight and led her team to 8-7 in the third quarter. Throughout the third and fourth quarters, the Heels and Eagles went back and forth eventually tallying a score of 10-10 before UNC’s talented attacker Sam Geiersbach landed her third goal of the game, giving her team an 11-10 lead. With just 2:23 left in regulation, Scottie Rose Growney, the Heels’ fifth-year senior attacker, sent another one to the back of the cage to provide her team with a two goal cushion as time ran off the clock. Boston College was able to climb within one, but with only 15 seconds remaining, the Tar Heels were able to secure the draw and maintain possession. Stellar Goalkeeper, Taylor Moreno, stood tall in cage, preventing the Eagles from tying the game. The final whistle has been blown, confetti falls from the sky, and National Championship hats have been distributed. The perfect season had been secured. 

Terps earn a fourth national title in school history  

For the fourth time in school history, and the first since 2017, the Maryland Terrapins brought home a national championship to College Park. Finishing with a season record of 18-0, the Terps broke the NCAA’s Division 1 record for the number of wins tallied without a loss and became the first undefeated National Champion since the University of Virginia’s 2006 team. This group of Terps has easily solidified themselves as one of the best men’s lacrosse teams in collegiate history, not only making it through the entire season unbeaten but winning the prestigious Big 10 conference championship as well. 

The Terps entered the tournament as the number one ranked team due to the strong success they showed in the regular season. After their first round bye, the Terripains defeated, the University of Vermont, University of Virginia, and Princeton Univerisity to punch their ticket to face off with Cornell in the final round. It is safe to say that the Terps dominated Cornell throughout the first 3 periods of the game, placing nine goals in the back of Cornell’s net while only allowing 3 in their own. The Terps walked into the locker room at halftime sitting on a 7-2 lead, but the Terps knew Cornell was going to bring their A-game in the second half, so the energy that allowed them to build up their lead needed to stay present. The strong Ivy league team proved they belonged in the National Championship, fighting their way back from a 9-3 deficit by scoring 4 goals unanswered by the Terps. Maryland’s leading midfielder Anthony Demaio has been the needed backbone for the Terrapins all season providing phenomenal performance after phenomenal performance for the Terps. He was no different on the championship stage. Demaio found the back of the net a game high of 4 times and utilized his burning passion for the game to propel him and his teammates towards success. Holding strong in cage, goalkeeper Logan McNaney anchored the defense in front of him and tallied 17 saves and a 71 percent save percentage. McNaney was named the Most Valuable Player of the game after his impressive performance. Maryland Lacrosse has always lived by the mantra, “Be the Best”, and what better way to prove that’s exactly what they are than completing the perfect season, flipping their hats backward, and smiling brightly next to a well deserved trophy. 

Photo Credit: “Trophies” by Patrick Lordan