After struggling to convert its chances in the first half of its regular-season finale against Rutgers on Saturday, the Maryland field hockey team went on a scoring spurt right after intermission.
The Terps scored 11 seconds into the second period and added another goal about six minutes later in their eventual 4-2 win.
In a rematch Thursday — this time in the first round of the Big Ten tournament — the Terps didn’t wait until halftime to take the game over. They scored 25 seconds into the game. Sixty-three seconds later, they scored again.
“Coming from a day of school and having the tournament at home, I was a little concerned with how we would open up,” coach Missy Meharg said. “I’m not concerned anymore. At all.”
The pair of quick scores meant Maryland led, 2-0, less than 90 seconds after the opening whistle. The early scoring was more than the Terps needed in their 3-1 win over the Scarlet Knights.
It was a bit of a surprising start for Maryland, as the team has struggled in the beginning of games for much of the year.
“It’s hard to say [what was different today],” forward Welma Luus said. “I wish I knew what it was because then we would do it every time.”
Luus and midfielder Kelee Lepage said the team was especially pumped up to begin its quest for a Big Ten tournament title on its home field, which may have helped the team early on.
Though Rutgers outshot Maryland for the rest of the first half, they failed to score on their seven shots and six penalty corners.
“The game changed a little bit, and I think the way we played changed a little bit, maybe the urgency wasn’t quite the same,” Luus said. “In the second half we kind of turned it around again.”
After another fruitless Rutgers corner try early in the second half, the Terps took advantage of their own corner to take a 3-0 lead. Defender Carrie Hanks hit the ball in from the top of the circle, and forward Linnea Gonzales deflected it in high off the crossbar for the score.
It was the first goal of the game that Luus didn’t assist on.
She started the scoring with what she said she hoped would be a goal for herself on a shot from the middle of the circle.
“The bowl was kind of wide open, and I thought I had the shot, [but] then someone got a stick in there,” Luus said. “So it ended up being like, a little pass to [Lepage] and it was kind of perfect.”
The deflection off a Rutgers defender’s stick prevented the shot from traveling more than halfway to the net.
Still, Lepage beat Rutgers goalkeeper Shevaun Hayes to the ball and tried to lift it over the keeper. Hayes got a touch on Lepage’s shot, but that only slowed the ball down on the way to the goal.
“Once I saw the play developing, I just ran in there just to support the team and get something on cage,” Lepage said.
Less than a minute later, Luus dribbled down the left sideline and beat two Rutgers defenders as she turned down the baseline. She nearly reached the left post before passing the ball across the face of the goal.
With Hayes charging at Luus, midfielder Madison Maguire scored into the open net.
Rutgers finally converted a penalty corner with about six minutes left in the game and earned another one a couple of minutes later with the chance to make it a one-goal game.
But Maryland thwarted that opportunity and kept the majority of the possession over the final few minutes as its coach clapped and celebrated the win.
“Survive and advance,” Meharg said to her bench. “Knockout.”
