The Maryland field hockey team has occupied three different spots in the polls all season. The Terps opened the year at No. 6, and spent two weeks at No.7 and one at No. 8. Now they’re back to being pegged as the nation’s sixth-best team.
They have been trying to correct the same issue for more than three weeks: starting slow in games.
Yet entering this weekend’s games against Ohio State and No. 5 Penn State, coach Missy Meharg said a larger theme of this season is how the Terps have dealt with change.
“We’re still new,” Meharg said. “No matter how you slice it.”
A lot of that “new” feeling can be attributed to an influx of freshmen. Meharg brought in 10 new players this season, seven of whom have played.
“Having 10 new freshman coming in is definitely a fun, fresh addition to the team,” midfielder Lein Holsboer said. “They’re adjusting really well and giving us that extra fun.”
In addition, Meharg made numerous position changes before the start of this year. Among them was Linnea Gonzales, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year in 2015, moving from forward to midfield. Courtney Deena, Delaney Leathers and Marissa Cutry moved to the backline, where they’ve all earned starts.
The changes didn’t stop once the season began. Before beating Indiana 4-1 on Sept. 17, Meharg asked for a couple position swaps to be made to the roster on the team’s website. And beyond those official announcements, there have been countless other adjustments.
“We still have a lot of people, fortunately, playing a lot of different positions and getting good time,” Meharg said.
Gonzales has crept back into the forward line. Emma Rissinger has been spending time in the midfield in addition to her official position of forward. Madison Maguire has done the opposite, playing forward while being listed as a midfielder.
Making so many changes wasn’t necessarily in the plans of the 29-year head coach, and it’s certainly not something she considers to be typical of her. Meharg said she “hasn’t done that so much in the past.”
She said the team’s depth has been the main reason she’s been able to tweak so many things, and the added changes had several positive effects beyond finding where a player can maximize her skill set.
“It really brings an element of surprise to the opposition,” Meharg said. “Also it keeps players motivated to play different positions and different tactics.”
Since the beginning of the year, Meharg has said that she wouldn’t necessarily name a starting goalkeeper, and she has remained true to her word. With three weeks left in the regular season, Sarah Bates and Sarah Holliday still split time.
The team thinks the position changes — especially in the backfield — and its young players mean its still working toward its potential. Still, riding a three-game win streak that helped them into a three-way tie at the top of the Big Ten, the Terps current status gives Meharg confidence they can peak at the right time.
“They need to stay present,” Meharg said. “They’ll pick it up based on what they’re going to feel when they step on that field.”
