No. 14 Penn State women’s lacrosse celebrated its Senior Day right by granting the 10 outgoing players a season sweep over the Maryland Terrapins Sunday afternoon.

Head coach Missy Doherty said she was happy with how the team played and earned a win for its seniors.

“This senior class is very special. They came through and had two hard seasons battling through the coronavirus,” she said. “Their dedication was awesome, and we graduated 10 players today. To have them stick with our program and keep working hard and beat Maryland twice in one season was pretty remarkable.”

The Nittany Lions were electric against the Terrapins, winning 16-9 and leading the entire game. Penn State took control of the majority of the first half, including a 7-1 lead, leaving Maryland with a much-needed comeback.

Kristin O’Neill and Mary Muldoon each scored five goals for the Nittany Lions, while seniors Sophia Triandafils, Quinn Nicolai, Maria Auth, and Lucy Lowe played a great well in support.

Doherty honored all 10 seniors Sunday afternoon, and they all contributed to the win. Soon-to-be-grads Kenzie Carroll, Sammy Helgeson, Kate Love, Rachel Rosen, Alyssa Sloane, and Emily Vengilio all started for the first few minutes of the game.

A Senior Day win and a season sweep over No. 9 Maryland both feel great! The Nittany Lions with a big 16-9 win over the Terrapins! #WeAre #HipHipLetItRip

Recap https://t.co/d90wmaS099 pic.twitter.com/xyuRFv51EJ

— Penn State Women’s Lacrosse (@PennStateWLAX) April 11, 2021

Goaltender Lowe had an incredible performance against Maryland. With 10 saves and great leadership on the defense, she contributed to the Terrapins’ 16 forced turnovers and was named as the player of the game.

“It felt great to win, and I have to give credit to the defense for forcing some bad shots,” Lowe said. “It was amazing to be out there with the rest of my class and just have a fun day.”

Triandafils had four points in the contest with two goals and two assists. Her inspiring play on the field may have a lasting impact, as she believes her class has made an overall positive impact on the younger players and is excited to see what the future holds for the Nittany Lions.

“My class, if you hear anyone talk about us, call us special or crazy because we always bring the energy,” Triandafils said. “We have left the younger players to make sure to have fun with everything and have a positive mindset. Every opportunity you have to step out on the field is a great one, so bring the energy, stay positive, and have fun with everything you do here.”

Auth moved past some all-time records in Sunday’s game. She tallied her 213th career point, which moved her into ninth place all-time at Penn State. She also moved into the 10th all-time scorer with 149 goals and still has time to keep climbing in the next month.

Overall, Doherty was excited after Sunday’s game and was happy to get a win on Senior Day. The head coach was impressed with her oldest players, talking highly about the 10 seniors.

“There is a great mix of personalities and a great mix of lacrosse players and just across the board a great class,” Doherty said. “A lot of the people who saw time today have made awesome contributions in their four years, and thankfully today. Getting them in to play was great, and I am so thankful they had this senior experience to end with.”

Penn State’s seniors still have the opportunity to play two more games in the regular season before the playoffs begin. Penn State will play Rutgers at 3 p.m. on Thursday in Piscataway before Johns Hopkins comes to Panzer Stadium on April 18. The Big Ten Tournament begins on April 29.