Missy Meharg
Anna Dessoye has had a busy summer. After participating on the U.S. U-21 field hockey team at the Junior World Cup in Monchengladbach, Germany, until early August, she reported back to College Park nine days later to begin her offseason with the Terrapins field hockey team.
Though the cluttered schedule can be physically taxing, Dessoye knew the national team presented her with an opportunity she could not pass up.
“Just being there was incredible,” Dessoye said. “I took away so many things from new coaches that I haven’t worked with before, and it’s good to get insight from them.”
She has taken her experience back to the No. 2 Terps (2-0) this season. Dessoye scored two goals and had four assists in the season’s first two games and will look to continue her strong play against Old Dominion and Drexel this weekend.
Though the Mountain Top, Pa., native was a valuable component of the team as a freshman, starting in 20 of the Terps’ 24 games, her involvement in the attack wasn’t as significant as it has been this year. Dessoye had five goals and three assists for a total of 13 points last season. She sits five points away from tying that mark through only two games this season.
“She has grown a lot in a year,” coach Missy Meharg said. “She’s a finisher, and she can set up people in front of the goal cage, so she’s becoming very dangerous.”
Within an attack that prides itself on depth and versatility, Meharg expects Dessoye and several others to play midfielder and forward during the season. Dessoye played midfield while at Crestwood High School in Mountain Top, but she switched to forward last season with the Terps and continued playing there with the U-21 team this summer.
Her ability to thrive in either position will be an asset heading into this weekend’s games. On Friday the Terps visit No. 8 Old Dominion (1-1) in Norfolk, Va., where Meharg will face former Terps assistant coach Andrew Griffiths, who now coaches the Lady Monarchs.
Meharg had Griffiths on her staff when the team won the national title in 1999. As Griffiths enters his first season at the helm with Old Dominion, Meharg will have an idea of how they will play. But the same goes for Griffiths, who spent several years with the Terps.
“There is a lot of familiarity,” Meharg said. “But with that is a lot of strengths, so we know it’s going to be a really strong battle.”
After that, the team returns to College Park to play its home opener against No. 17 Drexel at Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. The Terps expect the Dragons (1-1) to approach the game with a gritty defensive mindset, similar to how they did in their 2-0 win against Indiana on Saturday. As in their most recent game against Temple, the Terps’ attack may need to be persistent if they want to break through Drexel’s defense.
But with the way Dessoye has started the season, the team is confident it’s up to the task. Though Dessoye leads the Terps in offensive output, the attacking prowess of her teammates has aided her impressive start. For Dessoye, playing in College Park isn’t much different than playing with the country’s elite, as she was alongside forward Katie Gerzabek and midfielder Maxine Fluharty during the Junior World Cup.
The three U.S. national team members, along with the rest of the Terps’ attack, are likely to cause fits for Old Dominion and Drexel this weekend.
“As a team … we’re pretty strong,” Dessoye said. “We can achieve a lot of the goals that we all share.”
