When 5-foot-2 forward Katie O’Donnell, one of the Terrapin field hockey team’s smallest players, saw a Virginia player take possession of the ball in the middle of the field Friday, she didn’t even hesitate. She lowered her shoulder and charged straight at the Cavalier, knocking her to the ground in a near-tackle to steal the ball for the Terps.
Physical plays like this one might seem unexpected but are not unusual for O’Donnell, who willingly challenges opponents and dives out to hit balls every game. Still, while some of these plays could take your breath away, she said they’re just a regular part of the No. 1 Terps’ arsenal.
“It gives me a lot of turf burn,” she said. “But it’s just if you’ve got to dive, you’ve got to dive.”
O’Donnell’s sentiments were echoed by teammates all over the field. Terp players don’t hesitate to put their bodies on the line for their team, as witnessed in the 3-1 victory against No. 3 Virginia, allowing them to make plays others wouldn’t even attempt, coach Missy Meharg said.
Freshman Megan Frazer lowered her shoulders and leveled a few Cavaliers herself in the win, as well as diving to send a pass upfield to forward Nicole Muracco.
“If there’s a goal at stake, you just need to go and give everything to get that,” she said.
And it’s not just the attackers who sacrifice their bodies for the good of the team.
Goalie Alicia Grater’s willingness to lay out to block shots, like an aerial save she nabbed against Virginia, has helped her limit opponents to an average of 0.83 goals per game, the seventh-lowest total in the country. The backfield, too, boasts a bevy of physical players, led by Emma Thomas and Colleen Gulick.
“It doesn’t really matter to me if I’m on the floor or standing up when I make a trap,” Thomas said. “Obviously we don’t want the ball going off the sideline, so we just have to do whatever we’ve got to do to get the ball.”
“They’ll step up; they’ll intercept; they’ll bite your shin guards,” Meharg said.
Though dives and collisions are not measured in statistics, this attitude and style of play leads to more opportunities for the attack, more stops for the defense, and gives the team an edge all around.
But the physical play was also part of the reason for their two green cards and five yellow cards against the Cavaliers. The yellow cards especially could have hurt the team, forcing players to the sidelines for penalty time. Penalties will come in the normal course of a game for a team with as much physical presence as the Terps, though, and at least so far this season their physical play has helped more than hurt.
And it’s not just possession and shots that their physical play provides. According to Frazer, it carries a big intimidation factor too. She believes that translates directly into results for the Terps.
“If you step up in someone, then they’re not going to be as keen to tackle you,” Frazer said. “And they’re not going to get in your way.”
kyanchulis@umdbk.com
