No. 6 Maryland field hockey ends its road trip in East Lansing, Michigan, against Michigan State on Friday at 3 p.m. The Terps will then host American on Monday at 6 p.m. Both games will be available on Big Ten Plus.
Despite a strong start to October, where the Terps scored eight goals without conceding any, they fell to No. 6 in the NFHCA coaches’ rankings, swapping spots with No. 5 Michigan after the Wolverines shut out then-undefeated No. 4 Ohio State. The Terps will play both teams next weekend, but for now turn their attention to Michigan State and American.
Michigan State (6-5, 0-2 Big Ten)
Head coach Helen Knull is in her 14th season at the Spartans’ helm, having not finished a season over .500 since 2014. But the Spartans have enjoyed a strong start to the season — their six wins from this season already top last year’s four.
Players to know
Ellie Rutherford, senior midfielder, No. 15 — Rutherford, a Scotland native, is tied for ninth in the Big Ten with 14 points. The 2023 second-team All-Big Ten player had a goal and two assists in Michigan State’s 4-3 loss to Kent State on Sunday.
Emma O’Neill, senior forward, No. 10 — Alongside Rutherford, O’Neill is tied for fifth in the Big Ten with five. O’Neill hails from the same area of Pennsylvania as Maryland senior Hope Rose — their high schools (Lower Dauphin and Central Dauphin) are in-town rivals. Some extra motivation may be on tap for this game, as O’Neill hopes to get one over a player she’s competed against for years.
Strength
Offensive experience. Forty-one of Michigan State’s 75 points have been scored by their stellar senior quartet of Rutherford, O’Neill, forward Jillian Bonczewski and midfielder Maddie Lawlor. Not only are these players quality, but they can go the distance. Rutherford, O’Neill, and Bonczewski all rank in the top-four in total minutes played for the Spartans.
Weakness
Goalkeeping. Michigan State ranks 66th in the country and dead last in the conference for save percentage at 66.7%. Odds are the Terps will convert chances if they create them.
American (6-5, 2-0 Patriot League)
The Eagles have been under Maryland graduate and head coach Steve Jennings’ leadership for the last 26 years and have racked up 13 playoff appearances in that time, most recently a first-round exit to Duke last year.
American got off to a difficult start this year, losing three straight to start the season, but have gone 6-2 since and are on a three-game winning streak.
Players to know
Jordan Reicher, sophomore forward, No. 1 — Reicher’s five-game goal streak in September helped give the Eagles momentum as they looked to recover from their rough start. The forward leads her team with 14 total points, but has gone without a goal in four straight games.
Bryn Underwood, graduate goalkeeper, No. 80 — Underwood’s quality play in goal has made a massive difference for the Eagles this season. Her 77.8% save percentage ranks in the top 20 nationally.
Strength
Defending. The Eagles have allowed just 14 goals in 11 games this season, tied for 15th in the nation. American can play its game tight and have only improved in this regard recently; it posted three clean sheets in its last five games.
Weakness
Assisting. American only registers 0.82 assists per game, a figure which ranks 70th out of 79 Division I teams. The nine assists the Eagles have managed all season also ranks in the bottom 10 nationwide.
Three things to know
1. Good weekend for Gaitan. Freshman forward Ella Gaitan earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors for her performances last weekend, which included a two-goal outing in a 5-0 victory over then-No. 10 Iowa. This is the second time Gaitan has won the award this season.
2. American’s return to College Park. While the two teams have not faced each other yet this year, American played two games at The Plex as the fourth competitor in the Terrapin Invitational this season. Maryland lost to Virginia, 1-0, and beat Lock Haven, 8-1, while American lost to Virginia, 3-2, in overtime and beat Lock Haven, 4-1.
3. Special number on tap for Meharg. Following a pair of victories last weekend, Maryland head coach Missy Meharg sits on 649 career wins. Success in one of the two games coming up will be her milestone 650th win.
