Twin Peaks

he Terps men’s and women’s lacrosse teams were each crowned the 2017 NCAA Division I champion, the first feat of its kind in the sport’s history and reason enough for all of the stick-tossing, hugging and tears.

But the two national powerhouses gritted out those victories carrying different kinds of baggage: The women had chased an undefeated record in pursuit of a third trophy in four years, while the men desperately wanted to shake off a ghost that had haunted the program since 1975.

On May 28, the women beat Boston College 16-13 at Gillette Stadium in Massachusetts, and a day later on that same field, the men defeated Ohio State 9-6. Into the air went their sticks, and their anxieties.