Nearly a year after falling to Maryland in a lopsided NCAA semifinal, Penn State came to College Park on Thursday intent to prove it could play with the defending national champion.
The No. 15 Nittany Lions did just that for most of the night, using a tenacious defense anchored by goalie Lucy Lowe, a freshman from Notre Dame Prep, to hold one of the nation's most prolific offenses largely in check.
At least for a half.
Up by a goal late in the first half, the host Terps scored five straight — including four by senior Megan Whittle (McDonogh) — while holding Penn State scoreless for the next 21:48 in a 13-8 win, setting up next week's regular-season finale against Northwestern in what likely will decide the regular-season conference champion.