Missy Meharg
After 30 minutes of play against Massachusetts yesterday, the Terrapins field hockey team had only tallied one shot. Midfielder Maxine Fluharty’s attempt traveled over the goal cage, failing to challenge Minutewomen goalkeeper Sam Carlino.
After Fluharty’s shot, however, the Terps created more opportunities, and midfielder Anna Dessoye eventually gave them the lead 35 seconds before the end of the first half at Richard F. Garber Field.
Similar to their 3-2 win at No. 9 Boston College on Friday — which was their first comeback victory of the season — the Terps were in an unfamiliar situation against No. 7 Massachusetts. The team took a season-low eight shots, but the Terps beat the Minutewomen, 4-1, to cap an undefeated weekend on the road.
“We’re really pleased with the results,” coach Missy Meharg said. “We talked with the women and realized when it comes time to playing really good teams. … Those are the scenarios where you need to dig deep and find a way to win.”
Dessoye scored two goals for the Terps (10-0, 2-0 ACC) yesterday, with forward Emma Rissinger and defender Hayley Turner also scoring to lift the team to its 10th-straight win to open the season.
Much of the Terps’ offensive troubles on Sunday came in the first period as the team struggled to break through Massachusetts’ defensive pressure. The Minutewomen slowed down the Terps’ ball movement, forcing them to dribble and become more predictable in their attack.
Though Massachusetts (7-4) successfully held back the Terps offense in the first period, they couldn’t create their own chances. At halftime, the Terps had a 3-1 edge in shots, as scoring opportunities for both teams were sparse.
“It was an odd game,” Meharg said. “We’re always going to be a better team when we pass, and I thought [Massachusetts] did a very good job of funneling our players.”
Dessoye’s goal in the closing moments of the first half set the tone for the next period. Both teams created more chances, but the Terps were more efficient. Rissinger’s shot in the 46th minute slid through Carlino’s legs and into the goal cage to double the team’s lead, and Dessoye got her second goal of the game four minutes later to make it 3-0.
Minutewomen forward Lindsay Bowman scored after controlling a blocked shot off a penalty corner in the 60th minute. From there, Massachusetts ramped up its attack in an attempt to close the deficit.
The Terps faced a flurry of penalty corners in the final four minutes of the game, but they outlasted the Minutewomen’s pressure and sealed the result with a goal from Turner.
Against Boston College (7-2, 1-1), the Terps were able to create opportunities, but they struggled to finish. The Eagles, however, scored off their first shot of the game, as forward Virgynia Muma’s goal in the eighth minute gave the Terps their first deficit of the season. Defender Sarah Sprink tied the game three minutes later off a penalty corner, but the Eagles scored again early in the second period to re-establish their lead.
“Coming back twice from being behind on Friday night was a great opportunity,” Meharg said. “I was very, very impressed with the team and their outcome on Friday night.”
The Terps became more precise in front of the goal, scoring twice off three shots. Sprink scored her second goal of the game in the 52nd minute, and forward Alyssa Parker scored a minute later to complete the comeback win.
As the Terps’ undefeated season continues, they are finding ways to win while facing compromising situations they hadn’t encountered earlier in the season. The competition doesn’t get easier, either, as the team faces No. 1 North Carolina on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.
“We picked it up when we needed to,” Meharg said. “[I’m] just really pleased to have such good goal-scorers.”
