TOWSON, Md. — Maryland advanced to the NCAA women's lacrosse championship game for the 15th time, defeating Syracuse 14-5 Friday night with a dominating performance on both ends of the field.

The top-seeded Terrapins led 7-1 shortly before halftime and cruised to the finish against the unseeded Orange (15-7).

The victory moved Maryland (21-1) within one win of its 10th NCAA title, the first since 2001. The Terrapins on Sunday will face the winner of the semifinal game between five-time defending champion Northwestern and North Carolina, played later Friday night.

Caitlyn McFadden scored four goals for Maryland, now 10-0 against Syracuse in a series that began in 1998. The teams last met in the 2009 quarterfinal round.

In this one, the Terrapins outshot the Orange 28-19 and controlled 13 of 21 draws.

Syracuse's five goals tied a season low, and the 14 allowed were the most in a game since March 24 against Dartmouth.

Playing in its second Final Four, Syracuse used a three-goal run to close to 8-5 with 11:23 left. But Katie Schwarzmann scored for Maryland with 6:26 remaining, the first of four successive goals for the Terrapins over a span of 2 minutes, 7 seconds.

Maryland's Laura Merrifield opened the scoring with just over seven minutes gone, and Schwarzmann made it 2-0 midway through the first half following a poor clearing pass from behind the net by Syracuse goaltender Liz Hogan.

After Halley Quillinan got the Orange on the board, Merrifield scored from a free position, sparking a run five straight Maryland goals.

Christina Dove scored for Syracuse in the final minute, but there would be no comeback for the Orange.

McFadden scored with under two minutes elapsed in the second half to make it 8-2.