BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Maryland proved on Sunday a good offense can beat a good defense.

The third-seeded Terrapins got off to a quick start, scoring early and often on their way to a 20-7 win at Maryland’s Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.

Senior defender Katie Pumphrey scored the biggest goal of the game for Maryland, breaking away from the defense and firing the ball past senior goalie Bridget McMullan to give Maryland a 9-6 lead with 27 minutes, four second remaining in the second half. The goal — Pumphrey’s first of the season — snapped a 5-2 run by Temple and started a 5-0 Maryland run, which gave the Terrapins a 13-6 lead.

“The coaches have told us that if you’re there and you’re seeing it and you’re coming down the field, just to take it, and I just saw that lane,” Pumphrey said. “I don’t really remember what happened, but suddenly the ball was in the back of the net and I was hugging every single one of my teammates and jumping up and down.”

Senior attacker Casey Magor scored the first Maryland goal fewer than 30 seconds into the game and the Terrapins quickly jumped out to a 7-2 lead with 18:25 remaining in the first half.

Temple’s defense, which ranked 10th in the NCAA allowing just 8.7 goals per game entering Sunday, clamped down as the Owls (13-7) stormed back to cut the deficit to 8-6 early in the second half before Maryland put the game away.

Maryland (18-2) host Duke (12-7) on Saturday at 1 p.m. in a quarterfinal game in which the winner advances to the Final Four at Towson University on May 24 and 25. Duke, which advanced by upsetting sixth-seeded Georgetown, 10-8, defeated Maryland, 14-13, during the regular season.

“I thought we started off a little slow today. To Temple’s credit, they came out fighting, and they took advantage of some of our mistakes,” Maryland coach Cathy Reese said. “In the second half we made some changes, and I was much happier with the way we played.”

The Terrapins, who received an at-large bid after losing to Virginia in the ACC Tournament, entered the game averaging almost 15 goals a game, sixth in the nation. The 20 goals are the most Temple has allowed this season.

Senior midfielder Dana Dobbie and senior attackers Katie Princiotto and Magor each scored three goals for Maryland. The Owls contained Dobbie, who on Friday was named the ACC Player of the Year, in first half before she took over with three late goals and two assists to help put the game away. Dobbie leads the Terrapins with 69 goals.

“We knew that we had just 30 minutes to go out there and just do it,” Princiotto said referring to the second half, when Maryland outscored the Owls, 12-2. “We just did everything that we could.”

avitelli@baltimoreexaminer.com