In what could be the defining game of No. 5 Maryland field hockey’s 50th season, the Terps host No. 2 Northwestern Friday night at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.
The Terps rose two spots in this week’s National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association (NFHCA) poll after beating then-No. 13 Rutgers, and No. 7 Iowa and No. 9 Duke each losing a game — both seeded ahead of the Terps last week. After taking care of business Friday, Maryland enjoyed an entire week of rest with all eyes turned toward Northwestern.
The game will start at 6 p.m. and be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
Northwestern (8-0, 2-0 Big Ten)
2023 record: 21-2 (8-0 Big Ten)
Head coach Tracey Fuchs is in her 16th season with the Wildcats. The winningest coach in Northwestern history, Fuchs is no stranger to success in the sport. As a player, she holds the record for the most international appearances ever (268), and as a coach, she has led Northwestern to three-consecutive national championship game appearances, winning it all in 2021.
The Wildcats are undefeated so far this season. But in the most recent NFHCA rankings, Northwestern dropped to No. 2, behind undefeated North Carolina. The Wildcats earned 40 of 55 first-place votes, but ended up a mere 7 points behind the Tar Heels in the overall rankings.
Northwestern lost just two games last year. Its first was a 1-0 loss to Louisville, and its second was a 2-1 shootout loss to North Carolina in the national championship game. The last time the Wildcats lost a game by multiple goals was more than two years ago, and they have shown no signs of letting up so far this season.
Players to know
Annabel Skubisz, graduate goalkeeper, No. 30 — Across her career, Skubisz has been named a first-team All-American, Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year, Big Ten Tournament MVP and to the NCAA All-Tournament team twice. Skubisz, who was named NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week Wednesday, leads the nation with a 95.5% save percentage and 0.2 goals against average.
Ashley Sessa, sophomore forward, No. 4 — Sessa started her collegiate career at North Carolina in 2022, where she scored a hat trick in her debut game. She went on to play every game for the Tar Heels that year before taking 2023 off to compete in the Olympics with the U.S. National Team, which she’s been on she was 16 years old. In her first year with Northwestern, Sessa has five goals and five assists through eight games.
Strength
Defending. Northwestern has allowed just one goal all season — a garbage time penalty corner consolation to UMass, who was losing 5-0 at the time. Northwestern has seven shutouts this year, three more than any other school. Maryland will need to find a way to do the near-impossible on Friday to find a result.
Weakness
Fouls. The Wildcats have accrued nine green cards and two yellow cards on the season, both the second-highest marks in the Big Ten. They’ve also conceded over four penalty corners per game in contests against ranked opponents. The best chances to break down the Wildcats’ defense may require Maryland to make good on mistakes and advantages.
Three things to know
1. Maryland looks to take revenge. The Terps were one of Northwestern’s greatest challengers last year. The Terps took Northwestern to double-overtime in the Big Ten Tournament championship game, before the Wildcats finally broke the 0-0 deadlock 77 minutes in.
2. Familiar faces for DeBerdine. Terps’ star midfielder Emma DeBerdine spent a lot of time with a few key Wildcats this past summer. Fuchs was an assistant coach on the U.S. Olympic team, and Sessa and midfielder Maddie Zimmer were part of the squad in Paris.
3. End of the homestand. After opening with six of eight games at home — and two at a neutral site — Maryland will finally play its first true away games after this weekend. The Terps don’t have a game Sunday, giving them extra time to rest before they begin a three-game road trip.
