Maryland field hockey’s biggest game of the regular season — a rivalry matchup against No. 2 Northwestern — was decided by the Terps’ penalty corner woes. They went scoreless despite tallying seven.

Coach Missy Meharg said that Maryland’s offensive penalty corner improvements would shape their games following the loss. She was right.

The Terps scored four penalty corner goals in their first eight games of the season. They’ve tallied six in their four contests since then, all of which were wins.

Half of those scores were compiled in a 4-1 victory over American on Monday night.

Maryland used accurate passing and clinical finishing in its creative penalty corner sets against the Eagles.

Emma DeBerdine plays a leading role in every penalty corner chance as Maryland’s regular entry pass taker. Her precise deliveries were pivotal against American.

DeBerdine initiated Maryland’s second goal of the evening with her penalty corner entry in the 40th minute. The graduate student rolled a pass to Ericka Morris-Adams, who didn’t have to move her stick as she set the ball.

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Morris-Adams then evaded the area, giving Josie Hollamon enough space to sweep a powerful shot along the turf. The attempt beat Eagles goalkeeper Bryn Underwood and deflected off of an American defender on its way into the cage.

DeBerdine’s only assist of the night came from Hollamon’s score, despite being a catalyst for other goals. This was partially due to Maryland’s scoring method.

The Terps tallied their first penalty corner score from a passing set in the 25th minute.

Rather than shooting from the entry, Hope Rose collected the ball and dribbled into the penalty circle. An Eagles defender moved up to press the senior, opening a shooting lane for an unmarked Hollamon.

Rose recognized it and passed to Hollamon, who swept another turf-skipping shot toward goal. Hollamon’s attempt became an assist once forward Fleur Knopert deflected the ball into the cage.

“We’ve got a series where the ball is going to go on-cage in some way, from some angle or some skill,” Meharg said. “And then you’ve got options.”

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Even though Rose didn’t get any statistical credit for the goal, she took full advantage of an option from the series. Her intuitive decision was key to the score.

Hollamon inherited that same decision-making role for Maryland’s third penalty corner goal of the contest.

From atop the shooting circle, the sophomore defender took a dribble but soon realized she didn’t have a clean look at the cage.

Hollamon riffled a pass to fellow sophomore Maci Bradford, who snuck behind American’s defense at the near post. Bradford had little time to react, but she diverted the ball sideways and into the cage for a tight-angle finish.

“We work on that all the time,” Meharg said. “That ball was bouncing though. What a spectacular finish.”

The Terps’ penalty corner conversion percentage hovered just above nine percent after losing to Northwestern. That number is more than 20 percent in their four games since, as diligent penalty corner efforts have fueled Maryland’s recent four-game winning streak.