A woman in the bleachers twirled a black and orange umbrella as time ran off the clock in the No. 10 Maryland field hockey team’s loss 2-1 loss to No. 17 Princeton on Tuesday. When the final buzzer sounded, the Tigers gathered in front of their goal and started jumping.
Then, they ran toward the Princeton fans in attendance at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. They screamed and danced. All coach Missy Meharg’s team could do was watch.
A second half burst helped Maryland get on the board, but there wasn’t enough time for the squad to respond to Princeton’s two first half goals. So, the Terps, who had seemingly turned the corner after winning four straight games, had to consider their own shortcomings as Princeton celebrated.
“I keep saying they’re still kind of jelling and getting used to each other, but I think we’re past that point,” Meharg said. “It’s up to them to understand each of their responsibilities and not feel accountable for someone to else to do it.”
Again, a slow first half plagued Maryland. Four minutes into the game, Princeton striker Ryan McCarthy deposited the ball into the middle of Maryland’s unguarded net. McCarthy beat Maryland midfielder Brooke Adler in a one-on-one matchup before shooting past goalkeeper Sarah Holliday, who stood several feet away from the goal.
Then, in the 27th minute, the Tigers added another finish. Midfielder Clara Roth fielded the ball after a missed penalty corner attempt and lobbed it over Holliday’s head.
That proved to be all the offense Princeton would require, as the Tigers backline disrupted a Maryland attacking unit that scored a combined seven times against Indiana and Bucknell last week. Maryland held a 7-6 shooting advantage in both halves, but freshman defender Brooke DeBerdine said the Tigers’ speed and depth made their offense challenging to contain.
In the 32nd minute, Clara Roth brought the ball up the right sideline before sliding the ball through the legs of midfielder Brooke Adler.
Though Roth ran out of space as she drifted toward the corner, the flashy move underlined Princeton’s superiority in the upset. The Terps trailed at the intermission for the first time since their loss to then-No. 12 Boston College on Sept.3 .
“In the first half, we need to play how we’re going to play the whole game and set that standard from the beginning,” DeBerdine said. “Every single practice, we need to show up. Every practice, every first half [and] every second half. It needs to be all the time for us.”
Maryland’s energy and ability to win 50-50 balls helped it remain competitive in the second half, Meharg said.
About 11 minutes into the second period, defender Bodil Keus earned a penalty stroke, which she capitalized on to cut the deficit to one.
The Terps then created a number of opportunities but struggled to generate another goal. They ran out of time and were forced to watch Princeton celebrate Maryland’s third loss this season.
“We have to come out and dominate, because now we’re coming a little bit too late and we’re getting our momentum in the second half,” midfielder Lein Holsboer said. “It’s a one goal difference, so we need to get on the scoreboard a little bit quicker.”
