Matching the Terrapins -- who've won the national title seven years in a row -- in the talent department is a rare feat, even for UNC, which has historically fared relatively well against Maryland.
It turned out, though, that individual skill played less of a role Sunday than did teamwork and stamina, as the Tar Heels wore down the Terrapins and won 13-11.
The win came on the heels of Friday night's 15-5 romp against Johns Hopkins.
"It was an overall team effort today," UNC coach Jenny Slingluff Levy said. "It was the first challenging weekend for our team, and I was impressed with our ability to be a little tired and still make good decisions. We played hard and stayed pretty fresh for 60 minutes."
The Tar Heels (3-0) trailed 7-5 less than a minute into the second half when they began a spurt that effectively put Maryland (0-2) away.
In a span of about 13 minutes, UNC reeled off six goals to take an 11-8 lead. Senior Kellie Thompson netted two goals in that run, and three on the day.
Maryland tried to fight back with goals of its own, but couldn't stop the Tar Heels' offensive attack.
"Our attack works well against what they do defensively," said UNC's Lindsay Stone, who posted four goals and one assist. "They leave people open and it allows us to find cutters across the middle."
Maryland coach Cindy Timchal was aware of the "dangerous" nature of the UNC offensive unit coming into the game and cited the Tar Heels' speed and cutting ability as the game's determining factor.
