For Maryland women's lacrosse, the path to glory runs through a simple mantra: "1-0."

Head coach Cathy Reese, now in her 20th season leading the Terrapins, has kept her squad focused on the present moment as they chase a breakthrough that has eluded the program since 2019—a return to the national semifinals.

"You come to Maryland for one goal, and that's to win a natty," junior goalkeeper JJ Suriano said. "That goal is what's driving us."

The Terps have already accomplished what many programs only dream of: a dominant regular season and an NCAA tournament quarterfinal berth. But wearing the iconic red, white, black, and gold comes with sky-high expectations. Anything less than a national title feels incomplete.

This season presented Reese with a rare challenge: coaching a roster that has never experienced a Final Four game. The IWLCA preseason poll ranked Maryland No. 7, but internally, the belief was much stronger. That confidence was fueled by a revamped attacking core that has clicked from day one.

"Our depth is crazy this year. We have so much talent," midfielder Jordyn Lipkin said after a season-opening win over Syracuse. "But at the end of the day, no one's scoring without our offense executing the way that we need to."

Execute they did. Maryland raced to a 13-0 start and claimed the No. 1 ranking just three games before the Big Ten tournament. Now, as they prepare to face No. 6-seed Navy in the quarterfinals, Reese's "1-0" message has never been more critical.

Assistant coach Alex Aust Holman, a 2010 national champion, sees something special in this group. "They're just really special because they have such a good balance of being extremely dialed, but also understanding that having fun is a part of the journey."

For a program that measures success in championships, the message is clear: stay in the moment, take it one game at a time, and let the results follow. The Terps are built for this run—now it's time to prove it.