There wasn’t much separating Maryland and Michigan field hockey entering Friday’s matchup. The No. 10 and No. 12 teams, respectively, shared the same record and nearly identical rankings.
But how the two teams have arrived there is much different.
Michigan’s offense has been its strength as it ranked third in the Big Ten shots and goals scored. The Wolverines’ fast-paced offense forces teams to play at their speed, taking 20 shots per game compared to Maryland’s 15.
Meanwhile, the Terps’ strong defensive play has led them to their hot start. They allowed the lowest shot total in the conference, while its offense came in last in goals scored.
In a game of contrasting styles, Maryland dictated the style in its 1-0 win on Friday at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex. The Terps’ defensive front seldom let the Wolverines garner a consistent attack, while its offense controlled possessions.
“I think it’s pretty incredible, junior forward Maci Bradford said about the Terps defensive performance. “Our defense is a brick wall. Nobody’s getting by them. Josie [Hollamon] shut down Abby Tamer, who was an olympian. We all did our jobs.”
Maryland limited Michigan to three shots, dragging the game into a slow-paced matchup. Its offense finally broke the scoring stalemate in the third quarter with a goal by sophomore Ella Gaitan being the difference in the 1-0 win.
[Maryland field hockey dominates shots, looks to turn volume into goals]
Coach Missy Meharg emphasized the Terps turning its extra opportunities into scores. Those extra possessions were the difference in Friday’s low-scoring affair. The game’s style was much different than the two teams’ last matchup, when Michigan defeated Maryland 4-3 in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
“Getting [seven] shots against this team is good,” Meharg said. “We’d love to get double digits, but they had … three shots. They took 29 on Sunday against James Madison. Those stats are the nature of the way the game is played at the top level.”
The teams combined for just nine total shots. That style favored Maryland’s play style, leading to its third ranked win of the season. Goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko continued her strong play, saving the Wolverines’ only two shots of the day. Klebasko’s been one of the nation’s best goalkeepers through the beginning portion of this campaign.
Having extra rest potentially helped Maryland on Friday. Its last game came on Sept. 19 in a 3-1 beatdown of No. 20 Penn State, while Michigan lost in its previous contest to James Madison.
[Josie and Jordyn Hollamon’s goals lead Maryland field hockey to 3-1 win over Penn State]
The Terps began their gauntlet of ranked opponents with an impressive victory, led by another statement performance from their defense. Now with a top-10 matchup ahead against No. 8 Princeton on Sunday, they will need to string together strong showings as its young team gains more experience.
“I think what’s amazing is the number of first in second year players in the game,” Meharg said. “Today, that matchup just in maturity and experience, the number of times playing in a Big Ten match was unmatched for us. That’s what I was impressed with.”
