All six of Maryland field hockey’s losses entering the NCAA tournament were decided by one goal. It suffered a familiar fate against Duke at Karen Shelton Stadium on Friday.
Kira Curland inserted a penalty corner in the 38th minute. Josephine Palde levied a shot off the insert that hit the stick of a Terps defender, looping the ball directly to Curland. The senior tapped in the look to give the Blue Devils a one-goal lead — the lone score they needed.
For the second time this season, Duke defeated Maryland 1-0. The initial instance was the Terps’ first loss of the season. The NCAA tournament first round defeat was their last.
Maryland fell in the opening round of the tournament for the first time since 2015.
“Unfortunately we didn’t bring our A-game in the first two quarters which set us on our heels,” coach Missy Meharg said.
Friday’s matchup was a stark contrast to the regular season meeting between the teams in September. The Blue Devils won the matchup despite the Terps’ vast possession and statistical advantages. Maryland didn’t have the same edge in the rematch.
Duke consistently pushed down both flanks as its offense controlled the pace of play throughout the first half.
[Maryland assistant coach Jenny Rizzo’s field hockey journey spans 5 continents]
The Blue Devils gained a prime opportunity near the tenth minute when they worked the ball just a few feet away from the Terps’ cage. Goalkeeper Alyssa Klebakso shifted to cover the near post, leaving the rest of her goal clear.
Noticing the opening, Palde swung a pass to forward Barb Civitella. The graduate student had a clean look in front of the cage but couldn’t attempt a look on target as Maryland evaded an early deficit.
The Terps packed more players into their defensive circle following Duke’s aggressive start. The plan worked, as the Blue Devils recorded just one shot on-goal in the first half and failed to muster much offense.
But Maryland couldn’t turn its defensive strength into offensive firepower. It didn’t create a single chance the entire first half.
The Terps struggled to get past Duke’s defensive line near the 23-meter line. They failed to play the ball inside of their attacking shooting circle during the entirety of the first quarter due to the offensive disconnection.
”We were going right back at them — at least in the first two quarters — and then they were coming up with it,” Meharg said. “It became a battle of transition and a battle of running.”
Maryland broke into the shooting space several times during the second period but couldn’t convert on those minor chances. It was the first time all season the Terps were held shotless for an entire half. Their defense avoided a halftime deficit.
[Maryland field hockey suffered from a lack of shootout film on Michigan’s goalkeeper]
Defender Joise Hollamon seemingly sparked Maryland’s offense with its first clear opportunity in the 35th minute.
Hollamon took possession of a penalty corner entry and dribbled past a Blue Devils defender. The sophomore slid a precise pass to forward Hope Rose, who looked to guide the ball over Duke shot stopper Frederique Wollaert.
But Wollaert equaled Rose’s effort. She blocked the close-range look with her left leg to stifle the Terps’ best scoring opportunity of the afternoon.
Curland soon put Duke ahead with her penalty corner score.
Duke’s possession dominance persisted into the final quarter, forcing Maryland to pull Klebasko from the cage with just under five minutes remaining. The Terps also had a numerical advantage for a portion of the final stretch as McVeigh was temporarily sidelined due to a green card.
But Maryland failed to capitalize. As was common throughout the campaign, the Terps once again fell narrowly short in their seventh, and final, one-goal loss of the year.
