The Terrapin field hockey team took out its frustration in a rout of Northwestern on Sunday, one day after falling to No. 7 Syracuse.

The Terps topped the Wildcats 10-1, but the 2-1 defeat Saturday marked the first loss of the season for the top-ranked Terps (5-1), who will likely lose their No. 1 ranking Tuesday when the STX/NFHCA poll is released.

“As all those goals were going in [Sunday], I was like, ‘Jeez, we could have [used] one of those [Saturday],'” said back Susie Rowe, who had four goals herself. “It’s a bit of frustration from yesterday, but its good that we’re right back one day afterwards and we can put [Saturday’s] game in the back of our mind and forget about it.”

The Terps looked like a different team Sunday.

After struggling to capitalize on opportunities against the Orange, the Terps routinely made Northwestern pay by converting around the goal.

The team improved its technical play, scoring five times off of penalty corners.

“We went out and played with confidence, with flair,” Rowe said. “Really good running up front; great finishing; and we got the result we wanted.”

The Terps came out strong from the start, controlling the pace and keeping the ball in the Wildcats’ half of the field. The team sprinted to a 3-0 advantage in the first 13 minutes.

Nicole Muracco scored the second goal when she juked the goalie and calmly flicked the ball into the net. Thirty-five seconds later, midfielder Meghan Dean banged home another goal after a scrum in front of the net.

Offense turned out to be the Terps’ best defense, as they limited the Wildcats’ time of possession. Goalkeeper Alicia Grater was tested infrequently, making several diving saves in between lengthy spans of inactivity.

“We were just a team that was not going to be stopped today,” coach Missy Meharg said. “I love watching our team when it’s like that.”

The game was well in hand before the half, but the Terps continued to play hard – fighting for loose balls and looking to add to the score.

Last year, the Terps didn’t lose until Oct. 20 and then dropped three of their last five. Sunday was a first step toward rebuilding the team’s confidence, and it seems the early loss could preempt any temptation of complacency.

“If we’re not focused on being confident, our skills don’t show through,” forward Sarah Scholl said. “We need to keep building on every game and keep our mental game up, even if we get physically tired.”

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