Don't let her pleasant demeanor fool you. Catilyn McFadden is a killer.

The Maryland women’s lacrosse team started this year in the same place they finished last year – second in the nation.  Dreams of a perfect 2009 season ended with an 8-7 loss in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament to conference rival North Carolina.  Despite the loss, many felt that Maryland was the best team in the country last year.

Revenge is a dish best served cold, and the Terps have started The Quest for Perfection II by cold cocking Richmond 17-7 and #18 Penn State 17-9.  With #5 Duke coming to town Saturday, I figure this is as good a time as any to take a closer look at the ladies.  To the facts.

• Fact: Midfielder Catilyn McFadden is awesome. She has scored a point in each of her last twenty-seven games, including SIX against Penn State.  She was National Midfielder of the Year and ACC Player of the Year in 2009.  She is Lacrosse Magazine’s Preseason Player of the Year.  Look at her.  She is obviously a cold blooded killer.
• Fact: The Terps are coached by Maryland Class of ‘98 alum and Ellicott City native Cathy Reese.  Reese is simply a winner.  Between her playing days at Maryland and coaching days at Maryland, Reese has tallied seven National Championships.  That means she’s either played or coached on seven of the last sixteen National Championship teams.  She was named National Coach of the year in 2006.  Reese is the face of the program, and Maryland is lucky to have her.
• Fact: The defense is tight.  The defense is keyed by 2009 third team All-American Karissa Taylor.  Under Taylor’s leadership, the defense surrendered less than 10 goals/gm in 2009.  To put that into relative terms, that would be like a basketball team that gives-up less than 50 pts/gm.  Defense wins championships.  I’m just sayin’.
• Fact: Maryland beat Duke twice in 2009.  Fuck Duke.
• Fact: The ladies lacrosse team has thrown down the gauntlet in challenging the field hockey team for hottest athletes on campus.  SG will have more on that breaking story as it unfolds.
• Fact: The midfield includes the Thunder from Down Under, Australian Sarah Mollison.  Think of Sarah as the Robin to McFadden’s Batman.  She was a second team All-American midfielder in 2009 with 39 assists, many of which came on McFadden goals.  She’s the point guard of the Terps attack, and conventional wisdom is that teams need a solid point guard to win in the tournament.  What sport are we talking about again?
• Fact: Sophomore goalie Brittany Dipper is not a freshman anymore.  She was great as a freshman.  Look for her to be outstanding as a sophomore.  The Little Dipper will go Big in 2010.

Bonus facts from UMTerps.com:

• The Terps have been invited to the NCAA Tournament a total of 25 times which is more than any other team in the country. Virginia, which is second, made its 22nd appearance in the postseason in 2009.
• Maryland has played the most games in the tournament (54) and has the most wins with a 39-16 record.
• The Terps have won nine NCAA Championships which is four more than the second place team. Northwestern has won its first five national titles the last five seasons while Princeton and Virginia also have three to their names.
• Maryland has won the most overtime games in the NCAA Tournament with a 6-0 record.
• Maryland has the longest winning streak in NCAA Tournament history with 21 consecutive victories from 1995-2002 and have appeared in 16 title games, more than any other school.
• Heading into the 2010 season, Maryland has more wins than any other program in the country, totaling in at 516 and also boast the top winning percentage (.806).

Bold Prediction: Once again, I’m going out on a limb and risking all my credibility in the world of lacrosse journalism by predicting that the Maryland Women’s Lacrosse team will win it all in 2010.  I’m going to make it even bolder by saying they will not lose a game. Try and top that boldness.  You can’t.  Combined with the team itself, it’s bold and beautiful.