Maryland’s offense charged Virginia’s shooting circle with its sticks down and heads up. Hannah Boss fired a shot at the goalkeeper’s foot, which was kicked away and left the rebound free. From the outside left, Margot Lawn swooped in, found the angle and slid the ball between the post and goalie.
Lawn’s goal and Boss’ score late in the first half made a late fourth quarter Virginia goal moot as the No. 5 Terps won 2-1 over No. 6 Virginia. Although being outshot by the Cavaliers, Maryland’s defense held strong and stymied the opposing attack until the game’s 59th minute.
Lawn’s score was the Terps’ first Monday and the fifth-year’s third of the season as her role as inserter during penalty corners continued. Her 11 points are third on the team.
Maryland (7-2) struck again with less than a minute remaining before halftime. Ashlyn Carr passed to Boss in the shooting circle with her back to the net. She spun and swung her stick high, nailing a backhanded shot into the net to put the Terps up by two.
“Hannah typically finishes on that backhand, it’s a specialty of hers, she can take it off either foot and she can make it,” coach Missy Meharg said. “We are only going to see more and more action from Hannah Boss.”
[Cousins Josie Hollamon, Maci Bradford continue family legacy with Maryland field hockey]
Maryland struggled to capitalize on scoring chances in its previous contest, a one-point loss to Princeton, despite taking 23 shots. On Monday, the Terps took advantage of the opportunities they failed to last week. Sammy Popper led Maryland with three shots in just the first half, and Maryland finished with 11 in a more efficient effort.
Alyssa Klebasko had an active match combating the offensive advances made by the Cavaliers (5-3) with seven saves. In a mix of diving and swatting saves, Klebasko proved her athleticism, landing in a split to kick the ball away.
Kelbasko stepped farther outside the net than usual, which allowed her to be involved in more defensive plays. Her quickness afforded her the ability to stretch to deflect and intercept shots while remaining able to return to her standing position when needed.
“She’s a winner, she’s going to make big saves, she had that one stick save that would have put them on the board,” Meharg said. “I couldn’t be more pleased for her or with her performance.”
The Terps’ stalwart defensive unit made Monday’s win possible. Virginia’s offense maneuvered through Maryland’s midfield but stumbled once they reached defender Rayne Wright and Klebasko in net. The duo successfully halted Cavalier possessions and returned possessions to the Terps’ attack.
[Late goal dooms No. 5 Maryland field hockey in 3-2 loss to Princeton]
Virginia continued searching for opportunities despite Maryland’s dominant defensive effort and outshot the Terps 14-11. The Cavaliers more than doubled Maryland’s penalty corner total and finished with three more shots on goal.
Boss kicked the ball in the Terps shooting circle, which led to a penalty stroke in the last minute of the match. Virginia’s midfielder Noa Botermans shot through Paige Kieft’s arms after she relieved Klebasko for the final play, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Maryland’s pair of first half scores.
“I think it gave us an opportunity to have to be that much more gritty, that much smarter and figuring out how to manage that 22 seconds,” Meharg said.
In the Terps’ first match away from its home turf since August, a three-game road trip to California, Maryland toppled an old conference rival in one of its final tests before Big Ten play begins later this month.
