For the second game in a row, No. 5 Maryland field hockey lost a top-five matchup, 1-0, with today’s loss coming at the hands of No. 3 Virginia.
Both teams played nearly identical games in the first half, as a desire to go out and press the opponent was counterbalanced with a desire for defensive security. Throughout the first half, both teams attacked conservatively, with four penalty corners being the dominant offensive chances of the half.
The first two corners belonged to Maryland, who got opportunities with just over five minutes left in the first quarter. Kylee Niswonger hammered in two back-to-back balls to Hope Rose, who put the two shots off the challenging Virginia defender’s ankle and back, respectively.
Then, two minutes into the second quarter, it was Virginia’s turn to threaten from corners. The Cavaliers’ Daniela Mendez-Trendler played the first in to Jans Croon, who fired a low shot that required goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko to lay out on the ground and smother the ball. The second corner came quickly back to an onrushing Mendez-Trendler, who forced Klebasko into rushing out from her line and using her body to deny a goal.
Perhaps the best chance of the first half, however, went fully unpunished. Mendez-Trendler had the chance to send her Cavaliers on a four on two break, but in a beautifully ironic summation of the offensive chances created through the first half, she tripped over the ball and the chance came to nothing.
Maryland found success from the right side early in the second half, with hard, driving runs from Alina Gerke and Maci Bradford winning two penalty quarters. The resulting shots from Hope Rose and Josie Hollamon brought the Terps closer to getting the ball in the net, but Virginia seemed to gain more momentum as the quarter went on.
That momentum paid off for the Cavaliers entering the fourth quarter. Having continued to put pressure on the Terps, a heave from deep made its way to Klebasko, who had to kick the ball free. To the dismay of Klebasko and her teammates, however, the ball was kicked to an unmarked Suze Leemans, who made no mistake in blazing a shot past Klebasko for her fourth goal of the season.
“She’s a world class player, Suze Leemans, and it’s a shot she’s going to tee up, so kudos to her,” head coach Missy Meharg said after the game.
For the second game in a row, the onus was on Maryland’s shoulders to score a goal as the fourth quarter clock ticked down. And for the second game in a row, the Terps were left wanting. Today, however, it was by the slimmest of margins.
With under a minute remaining in the game, Maryland forward Maci Bradford went down in a heap. While the severity of Bradford’s injury remains unknown, she was seen leaving the game with crutches.
What could be a worrying sign for Maryland’s future was first a chance for redemption offensively, though, as it received the ball on the restart following the injury break and won a penalty corner with nine seconds left.
Emma Deberdine swung in the corner for the Terps, and the ball went to Rose, who hit a howitzer low and away from the keeper. But as the ball arrowed towards the bottom corner, Virginia’s far post defender Noa Boterman got her stick down and deflected the ball wide and away to the corner, ending Maryland’s chances at equalizing and the game.
Coming off their largest-ever defeat against Virginia in the Elite Eight last year, Maryland was hopeful of exacting revenge, but this outing ended up a continuation of the Terps’ team character arc rather than the upswing. Despite the loss, Meharg remained optimistic in her outlook.
“I mean, again, when I look at the statistics, it’s pretty clear that we’re going to run with the best in the country. So it’s now [about] cleaning up the critical area, that’s the red zone, and we’ll continue with it,” Meharg said when asked about how her squad matched up against Virginia’s tonight.
With only five games played so far this season, Meharg will hope her Terps can continue to do what it takes to repay that optimism and finish the team’s storyline off with a positive ending come November.
Three things to know
1. Terrapin Invitational streak ends. The Terps see a run of 15 consecutive wins in the Terrapin Invitational end with today’s loss.
2. Maryland’s penalty corner woes continue. Of the 22 penalty corners the Terps have created so far this season, they have scored on only one. A regression to the mean sooner rather than later on their valuable scoring opportunities will be critical in order to turn the close losses into wins.
3. Opportunity to respond on Sunday. The Terps will come away from this game frustrated but knowing they have every chance to get right against Lock Haven, who are 1-4 on the year, having conceded 24 goals so far this season. The Terps’ game will take place on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.
