Maryland field hockey entered the past two weeks with a gauntlet of ranked opponents. It strung together three consecutive ranked wins against No. 13 Saint Joseph’s, No. 16 Penn State and No. 12 Michigan. The Terps went 3-0, but finished their stretch with a difficult opponent: The No. 8 Princeton Tigers.
The step up in competition was evident. Maryland had opportunities late, earning two penalty corners. But a dominant third quarter propelled the Tigers to a 2-1 win over the Terps (6-3, 2-0 Big Ten) on Sunday at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.
“I think we gave the game away in the third quarter,” coach Missy Meharg said. “We had some tactical things we wanted to do, and I don’t think we were as disciplined as we could have been.”
Meharg’s team has played the same type of game four straight times against Princeton. The Terps have dropped four consecutive one-score losses to the Tigers, and Sunday’s ranked contest ended in the same script.
For the second straight game, Maryland failed to record double-digit shot attempts. A stagnant offense has been the theme against top-ten opponents this season. In its four top ten games, Maryland’s offense has yet to record more than nine shots.
A late Maci Bradford goal made the final score more respectable, but the Terps didn’t generate nearly enough chances against an elite Tigers’ defense.
With two of the nation’s best defensive units matching up Sunday, the Terps allowed only six shots in its previous two games and 15 goals on the season, while Tigers (5-3, 1-1 Ivy) allowed just 12 goals coming into Sunday.
[No. 10 Maryland field hockey shuts out No. 12 Michigan 1-0]
But it was Princeton’s offense that broke through, outshooting Maryland 17-9 while earning five penalty corners to the Terps three attempts.
Sunday marked the 30th all-time matchup between the two schools, with the Terps dominating the all-time matchup 22-8. But Princeton has won the four contests since 2022 — all coming by one score.
Princeton coach Carla Tagliente is a Maryland graduate in her ninth season as the Tigers’ head coach, and has had her former school’s number. She won the 1999 national championship with the Terps and held the school record with 87 goals and 187 points until 2010. With a loaded Princeton team, she’s led her team to four straight wins over Maryland.
“[I’m] very fond of Carla Tagliente,” Meharg said. “She’s a great coach. She always brings the best. They’re in our region, so we could see them again if we’re ofrtunate enough to get to the NCAA tournament.”
All three of the Tigers’ losses have come against top-six-ranked teams in the country — but all came at home.
[Maryland field hockey dominates shots, looks to turn volume into goals]
Sunday’s matchup against the Terps marked its first top-ten matchup away from home and it did not faze them. Maryland controlled possession for much of the first quarter, but Princeton flipped the script in the later halves.
Most of the Terps’ late offensive production came when it removed goalie Alyssa Kelbasko in favor of another attacker, but failed to re-create the magic of its win against Saint Joseph’s on late penalty corner chances.
Now Maryland must look ahead to its first true road trip of the season as they re-enter Big Ten play and to face Ohio State and Michigan State.
“I want to get back at what really matters, and get better at the things that we weren’t able to do in the third quarter this game,” Meharg said ahead of its road trip next weekend. “Even in the first quarter we had opportunities, and we’ll go from there.”
