For about 15 minutes during the No. 17 Maryland field hockey team’s 4-1 win against Liberty on Sunday, the Terps lingered on the sideline. The officials used a pair of video referrals to determine an illegal pass preceded Liberty’ssc first goal, taking it off the board.
The sequence was one of many that could have limited the Terps’ momentum. Two cards were issued in the first period, and another was given in the second, resulting in a momentary stoppage of play. Both sides used timeouts.
But for the second time in as many games, Maryland’s aggressive outlook from the opening whistle resulted in a win.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the women for back-to-back games getting on the board and being dominant,” coach Missy Meharg said. “The game had a lot of flavor to it. Our team handled it with a lot of maturity.”
Before the tempo slowed, the Terps attack exploited Liberty’s defense. Seventy seconds into the game, midfielder Madison Maguire found herself in the center of the Terps offensive zone. Matched up one-on-one with Liberty goalkeeper Allison Schaefer, Maguire deposited the ball into the center of the goal to give Maryland an early advantage.
It took six minutes for Maryland to score on Friday against Michigan State. On Sunday, finding the net seemed even easier.
Maryland’s quick start continued about six minutes later, when defender Bodil Keus — who has been Meharg’s most consistent threat on penalty corners and strokes — scored off a penalty stroke. A quick stroke sent the ball into the upper-left corner of the net, doubling the Terps’ lead.
Maryland dominated possession, and as a result, the Terps boasted a two-goal advantage entering the intermission. In the first, they limited the Flames to three shots.
“The biggest difference has been our energy,” forward Linnea Gonzales said. “We’re connecting on the field from the start [and] making sure everyone gets touches on the ball. The sideline has energy too.”
Gonzales and midfielder Brooke DeBerdine said the team’s intensity waned slightly during the final minutes of the first half, but Maryland responded. It seemed a slower start might plague the Terps in the second, as Liberty midfielder Jill Bolton scored about six minutes into the period to cut Maryland’s lead in half. But just more than a minute later, Gonzales responded with a goal of her own.
In both halves, Maryland scored by leaning on its aggression, the type Meharg has sought from the Terps during a span in which they dropped three of four games.
There were opportunities for Maryland to lose momentum, but the game started the way it ended: with a Terps goal, representing a complete effort ahead of contests against Ohio State and No. 5 Penn State next weekend.
“We needed this weekend,” DeBerdine said. “We have to come out the beginning of every game with the right mindset. Next weekend, if we do that, it will be a fun weekend.”
