Attacker Karri Ellen Johnson continues to make her way up the Terps’ single-season goal total list.

 One minute into the second half, Johnson scored her third goal of the game and her 73rd of the season to give the Terps a 5-4 lead and move herself into a tie for third for the program all-time.

The No. 2 seed Terps are tied 4-4 with the Tar Heels midway through their Final Four match.

They almost did not even have a tie. After taking the lead and letting North Carolina tie the score three times, with 3:17 remaining in the half, North Carolina’s Laura Zimmerman scored to give the Tar Heels a 4-3 lead, their first of the game.

But after Terp coach Cathy Reese called a timeout to refocus the team, midfielder Laura Merrifield used her 6-foot-1 frame to force her way past the Tar Heel defense and get a shot off before falling to the ground. But the off-balance shot was enough to tie the game.

The half was unusually low-scoring for the explosive Terp offense. In fact, it ties the attack’s lowest first-half goal total of the season. And one of the reasons was the lack of opportunities. It is not odd to see Terp shot totals in the 20s for a single half, but the Terps managed to get off only 12, the same number as the Tar Heels.

Still, the Terps should not panic in the second half. They have been in this situation before. The Terps were tied 5-5 at half against North Carolina in the regular season and went on to win 13-8. And in the ACC Tournament Championship, the Terps were down 8-4 to Duke and managed a comeback victory.

But the Terps still should look to reenergize their attack early in the half unless they want to play tug-of-war down the stretch for a victory.

At the Terps’ Final Four match against North Carolina, we’ve reached a T.V. timeout, an unusual event for a women’s lacrosse game, but it gives time enough for a quick  update.

Neither team had scored for the first seven minutes, so it was shaping up to be a slow half. But then attacker Karri Ellen Johnson pur the first goal on the scoreboard, sparking the offenses of both teams. The Tar Heels answered just a minute later with a goal of their own. The same happened two minutes later, with another Johnson goal and another North Carolina response.

Then, less than one minute ago, Terp attacker Sarah Mollison scored to again give the Terps a one goal advantage.

So much for this being a slow half…

The undefeated Terps are facing their ACC rivals the North Carolina Tar Heels tonight at Johnny Unitas Stadium in Towson, Md. They will try to continue their streak and make it to the NCAA finals for the first time since 2001, the last year they won the National Championship.

 The crowd tonight looks friendly for the No. 2 seed Terps, who are playing less than an hour from their home turf (though with today’s Memorial Day weekend traffic, it felt like longer.)

 The Terps beat No. 3 seed North Carolina earlier this season 13-8 in College Park. With another win victory tonight to advance to the title game against No. 1 seed Northwestern, also undefeated. The Wildcats had a scare in their semifinal match, playing No. 4 seed Penn to double overtime before nabbing a 13-12 victory. The Terps hope to get into Sunday’s final without a similar harrowing finish.

 More to come from the Towson pressbox…

UPDATE: As I sitting here waiting for the opening draw in the air conditioning and looking out on a spacious stadium, I just wanted to give Towson a thumbs up for the setting. I understand that Unitas Stadium serves the football and men’s lacrosse teams as well as the women’s lacrosse team here, but it’s still nice. The stands and press tent at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park is wimpy by comparison, especially for a program that has the most NCAA Tournament appearances and national titles in the country.

kyanchulisdbk@gmail.com