After the long week without Maryland field hockey (8-3), the Terps returned ready to fight. The team came out ranked #8 in the nation as of Monday, September 25. If this Maryland team wants to regain their original #3 ranking, they have quite a few spots to climb.
B1G 10 Play is Back
The Terps faced #6 ranked, undefeated Rutgers Scarlet Knights (10-0), on Thursday, September 28. The Terps came out strong, with fifth-year forward Margot Lawn getting on the scoreboard within the game’s first three minutes. The Scarlet Knights didn’t back down, retaliating with a pair of goals to take the lead in the third quarter. Maryland was quick to respond, with freshman forward Maci Bradford finding the back of the net midway through the third quarter to tie the game. At the end of regulation, the game remained tied at two apiece, sending the Terps into overtime.
Throughout the extra minutes, Rutgers dominated in the possession game, but Maryland was determined not to make any mistakes. After two overtime periods, the match went to shootouts. For shootouts, each team chooses five players and a goalie. A singular player goes up against the goalie for a 1-v-1 with eight seconds to try to hit the back of the net. Junior goalkeeper Paige Kieft was the chosen goalie for the Terps, and she denied the first shot from the Scarlet Knights. The Terps’ first shooter was graduate student, Sammy Popper, who was able to get a goal out of her shootout. After that, the Knights could convert their next three attempts, while Maryland couldn’t get one more past Rutgers’ goalkeeper. The team lost 2–3; their first loss to the Scarlet Knights in team history.
Back Home for Conference Play
After the tough loss against Rutgers, the Terps were ecstatic to be back home. On Sunday, October 1st, the Terps faced the #16 ranked Penn State Lions (5-5). After a brutal game a few days before, no one knew how it would affect their play, but the Terps showed up, putting last week’s match in the past. The goal-scoring started early for the Terps, with Bradford getting one past the Penn State goalkeeper in the first three minutes of the game. After that, nothing could stop the Maryland team. In the third quarter, Maryland shut the Lions out of the game with a goal from junior forward Hope Rose and two from freshman defender/midfielder Josie Hollamon — her first-ever two-goal performance. Freshman goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko had quite a game for herself, as she was able to rack up four saves against the Nittany Lions. Despite the comeback efforts from the Lions, the Terps were able to walk away with a 4–2 win.
Up Next
The Terps’ next opponent is the Michigan State Spartans (3-7), whom they will play at home on Friday, October 6. The Spartans are unranked nationally and ranked seventh out of nine teams in the B1G Ten conference. This game is vital for the Terps if they wish to move up in the B1G Ten rankings. After the Michigan State matchup, they’ll take a quick drive to D.C. to face the American University Eagles (5-5). While this game isn’t a B1G Ten match, this game is sure to affect their record. Hopefully, the Terps will be able to secure these two wins to increase their win column and get their record up. The road ahead has quite a few challenging games, so it’s essential for the Terps to walk away with two wins this coming weekend.
