A blocked shot by Maci Bradford led to an altercation late into the third quarter which saw a Miami midfielder leave the pitch with a green card. Hope Rose, lined up at the penalty line, stared down the goalie with two scores already under her belt.
The Terps’ top scorer last season had plenty of experience finding the back of the net in College Park, but had never recorded a collegiate hat trick. That changed with a low flick of her stick that sent the ball past the Miami goalie.
The U.S. national team member’s last goal was in the Terps’ comprehensive win over UC Davis, where she scored twice in their 6-0 victory, but her first hat trick in Maryland colors lifted the Terps to a 3-1 win against Miami of Ohio on Friday in College Park.
After an overtime win against Boston College on Sunday, Maryland (5-1) returned to its home turf to host the first game of the Terrapin Invitational against Miami (3-2). The Terps remained undefeated against the Redhawks, extending their all-time record against the visitors to 3-0.
Margot Lawn lined up to take a penalty corner with just more than a minute left in the first quarter. Hope Rose transitioned the insert into a hard drive that bounced off the goalkeeper’s foot and slammed into the lower right corner of the net.
[Freshmen often flounder. Maryland field hockey’s are flourishing.]
Rose, who was held without a point during the Terps’ last two games, was able to find Maryland’s breakthrough in the first quarter to give it a lead it’d never surrender.
Rose snuck out around the Miami goalie and received a sweeping pass from the right wing about 10 minutes after her first tally. Rose’s shot deflected off the goalkeeper’s foot and slid between the legs of a Miami defender and into the back of the net. Her two scores put the Terps up 2-0 at halftime.
The teams spent plenty of time in their respective attacking halves and racking up lots of penalty corners early on in the game. The Terps were able to convert the penalties into goals and finished the match with five corners. The Redhawks were not far behind with three of their own, but failed to take advantage of the opportunities they created in front of the net.
The match was suspended for 50 minutes due to storms in the area during halftime, clearing the stands and the player benches. When both teams took the field again, the lights were on and the clouds remained threatening.
[No. 3 Maryland field hockey sneaks past No. 17 Boston College in overtime, 1-0]
With just less than an hour of rest, Maryland returned to their dominating position.The Terps continuously attacked the net, hammering 16 shots at Miami’s goalie throughout the course of the game.
Paula Navarro, the same player who received a green card minutes before Rose’s penalty stroke, raced down the pitch to create a penalty of her own in Maryland’s defensive circle.
The Terps didn’t need to call on goalie Paige Kieft before Navarro stepped up with seconds remaining in the third quarter, as Maryland had spent a majority of its time in Miami’s defensive end. Kieft recorded her first stop of the game with a diving save from Navarro’s penalty stroke that kept the Terps’ shutout intact.
That would only continue for another four minutes as Miami midfielder Carlie Servis found the ball on a breakaway, carrying it across Maryland’s shooting circle before pushing it around Kieft and into the bottom left corner for the Redhawks’ first and only goal of the game.
Persistent lightning meant the game was called about 10 minutes early with Maryland up two scores over Miami. The Terps return to their home field Sunday at noon to take on Yale.
