When Maryland’s Hannah Leubecker snuck a third unanswered goal past Molly Laliberty to put the Terrapins up 3-2 with 14 minutes left in the second quarter of the Big Ten Championship, those who had watched Northwestern lacrosse win 16 consecutive games might have sensed an unfamiliar feeling — one rooted in vulnerability.
It could have been because it was the first time the Wildcats had trailed since the first quarter of their win against Albany nearly a month ago. Maybe it was because NU, the top offense in the country, had gone 12 minutes without scoring. And in the process, UMD had shut down Tewaaraton Award nominee Hailey Rhatigan two weeks after she erupted for four goals in Evanston.