Coach Missy Meharg gives instructions to forward Alyssa Parker on the sideline during the Terps’ 5-2 win against New Hampshire on Sep. 19, 2015.

After the Terrapins field hockey team downed Penn State, 1-0, in State College, Pennsylvania, on Friday afternoon, coach Missy Meharg had a question.

Meharg found Jean Parker and asked her how many open looks on goal she thought her daughter, midfielder Alyssa Parker, had in the game.

Jean said Alyssa could’ve scored three times, yet her daughter only recorded one shot against the Nittany Lions.

Parker’s attempt yielded the lone goal in the contest and sealed the Terps’ ninth straight win. Throughout the season, though, Meharg and the coaching staff have been urging Parker to “pull the trigger” in the circle.

So after the two opportunities Parker passed off, Meharg enlisted help.

“What happened when she took the one? It went in,” Meharg said to Parker’s mom. “Could you please tell your daughter just to shoot?”

READ MORE: Parker’s 19th-minute goal enough against Penn State

Parker’s connection — a quick push from the left post off a pass from midfielder Lein Holsboer — marked her second score of 2015. In her first three seasons in a Terps uniform, the senior averaged more than seven goals per year.

Before the Penn State matchup, Parker had gone 11 straight games without recording a goal.

Parker, who has one assist this year, said her first instinct in the circle is to pass to an open teammate, even if she also has a clear path to the cage. In fact, her biography on the program’s website says Parker’s biggest sports thrill is “setting someone up for a goal.”

But this season, she’s worked closely with associate head coach Dina Rizzo to take advantage of her shots. Meharg wants her midfield to provide a second layer to the team’s forward line, and the coach said having Parker develop a more attacking mindset will help.

“Good things happen when you shoot,” Parker said. “You can score, you can get a foul, [or] your teammates can rebound it, so I just need to start doing that more.”

Though her statistics have dipped in her final year — she entered Friday’s match with one goal on 17 shots — Parker’s positive demeanor hasn’t.

Meharg called the Woodbine native “the engine of our midfield” because she “never stops running.” Parker played all 70 minutes Friday.

Against the Nittany Lions, Parker manned the center midfield position. Defender Kasey Tapman said every time Parker got possession, she pushed the ball forward. Tapman, though, said she prefers when Parker plays to the right side so the duo can work together.

“She brings great energy,” Tapman said. “That brought a lot of oomph with it [for] us to attack.”

Plus, Parker encourages the underclassmen after they make a mistake. She remembers the positivity the Terps leadership gave her when she was a rookie.

The midfielder said she plays best when she’s loose and carefree, so she wants to relieve the extra pressure on the newcomers. Parker reacts to mistakes with a “just keep going,” “you’re fine,” or “try again” line.

“Just those simple phrases real quick, maybe you don’t think mean so much to somebody,” Parker said, “could really help them refocus and not let it bother them.”

Parker was on the receiving end of a confidence-building remark when Meharg yelled, “Parker, shoot it,” during warm-ups Friday.

It was the same refrain the coaches had bellowed in recent practices. Hearing it so close to game time, however, stuck with Parker as she knocked in the game-winner.

“[That] gives me confidence, like ‘OK, they want me to shoot, I’m going to shoot,’” Parker said. “They trust my shot, and I should too.”