When Karri Ellen Johnson played for the gold-medal winning United States Under-19 women's lacrosse team two years ago, she was a bit intimidated by being among the best young players in the country. Last fall, when she got to Maryland as a freshman, she decided that would not happen again.
"I felt like at Under-19s, I kind of played a little scared," said Johnson, a Broadneck graduate, "but I wanted to have a different freshman year. I didn't want to play scared or timid."
Today, no one would call Johnson timid. A physically strong player with a good eye for the action on the crease, she leads the No. 2 Terrapins (20-0) with 68 goals as they head into Saturday's NCAA quarterfinal against No. 7 Syracuse in College Park.
In her first game, she led the Terps with five goals, and she has not missed a start.
"When I first got out there, it was a little nerve-racking," said Johnson, 18. "In college, teams can actually play defense and you forget that you can't just blow by every person. Once I realized I had this wonderful opportunity to play with some of the best girls in the nation, it was easier for me to adapt."
In Sunday's NCAA first round, Johnson provided the spark for a 20-4 rout of Colgate, opening the game with three goals and an assist - all in less than five minutes - to kick off a 15-0 Terps run.
"She doesn't play like a freshman at all," said teammate Caitlyn McFadden, a junior All-America midfielder. "She has the confidence. I think the best thing about her is her ability to see the open net and stick her shots. She's an amazing shooter."
Although Johnson was an All-Metro midfielder in high school and she still contributes there, ranking among the team leaders in draw controls and caused turnovers, she excels at low attack for the Terps, a move that accentuated her natural abilities on the crease. She has been a big reason the Terrapins average 16.15 goals, second only to No. 1 and four-time defending national champion Northwestern (17.85).
Johnson hits 64.2 percent of her shots and ranks eighth in Division I in goals per game with 3.4, as well as 12th in points with 79.
"To come right in and put up as many points in different categories as she has this season, I think, has been outstanding," Maryland coach Cathy Reese said. "There's no doubt that she's one of if not the top freshman in the country."
