The Terps enter the postseason with a 16-2 record and the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten tournament.
With the game waning in the balance in double overtime, No. 2 Maryland field hockey searched for the game-winning goal.
Maryland sophomore forward Hope Rose used nifty stick skills to maneuver along the left sideline before delivering a swift pass to graduate midfielder Bibi Donraadt. Once Donraadt corralled the ball, she immediately sent the shot into the cage to give Maryland a 2-1 victory over 13th-ranked UConn on the road Sunday afternoon.
The Terps end the regular season with a 16-2 record with the Big Ten Tournament starting this Thursday. Maryland is the No. 2 seed in the tournament and will face No. 7 seed Ohio State in the opening round.
The game started off with both teams looking to generate scoring opportunities for their offenses.
Maryland and UConn used the first quarter as a feeling out process, combining for zero goals, six shots and four penalty corners.
UConn started the second quarter with a sense of urgency to score first on its home field. The Huskies wouldn’t wait long to get in the scoring column.
Just two minutes into the second period, UConn received its fourth penalty corner of the game. Senior back Claire Jandewerth stepped in rhythm and fired a looping shot into the cage for the opening goal of the game. Jandewerth’s goal gave UConn the early 1-0 advantage.
Coming out of halftime, Maryland looked to break its cold streak and even the top-15 showdown.
The Terps’ persistence on three consecutive penalty corners eventually paid dividends for the visitors.
Early in the third quarter, Rose swung a rocket into the left side of the cage for the equalizer. Rose’s goal evened the game at one apiece.
Neither team could generate anything for the remainder of the second half, and both teams especially struggled in a defensive fourth quarter. Maryland and UConn combined for just two shots and zero penalty corners in the final 15 minutes before the game was sent to overtime.
In the first overtime period, both teams had chances to make something happen. UConn graduate goalkeeper Cheyenne Sprecher made a stop on graduate midfielder Danielle Van Rootselaar less than two minutes into the overtime, and Christina Calandra stoned senior back Jerri Lankford about halfway through the game’s fifth period.
As the game entered a second overtime, the Terps didn’t want to see it go any further. Donraadt was re-inserted into the game about four and a half minutes into the second overtime, and she made her impact known with the game-winner just 17 seconds later.
Maryland will enter the Big Ten Tournament (Nov. 2-Nov. 6) as the No. 2 seed and will look to bring home its first conference tournament title since 2018.
Three things to know
- The Terps closed their regular season with a victory. Maryland’s leading scorer Hope Rose displayed outstanding field vision, as she dribbled down the sideline, only to find teammate Bibi Donraadt in front of the cage for the game-winning goal. With another overtime victory under its belt, Maryland ends the season with a 4-1 record in overtime periods. The Terps started slow, but their defense was able to keep them in the game with opportunistic turnovers and quick defensive rotations.
- Maryland’s defense used a strong second half to stifle UConn’s attack. UConn got on the board first in the second quarter on a penalty corner goal by senior back Claire Jandewerth. The Huskies outshot the Terps 18-15, but Maryland’s defense was able to thwart any goals from entering the cage. The Terps headed into intermission with a 1-0 deficit, but would eventually break the ice in the third on a goal by sophomore forward Hope Rose. Following Rose’s goal, Maryland would go on to pitch a second half shutout to secure a victory in the season finale.
- Looking ahead. The Terps have wrapped up the regular season, and it was an outstanding one. Though Maryland let the outright Big Ten regular-season title slip away with a rare blunder against Penn State, it still earned a share of the conference title with a sensational 7-1 Big Ten mark. At 16-2 overall, the Terps will begin their postseason campaign Thursday as the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament in Columbus, Ohio. Maryland will face host and No. 7 seed Ohio State to start what Meharg hopes is a long and fruitful postseason run.