No. 2 seed Maryland field hockey entered the Big Ten tournament desperate for a resume-boosting win. Despite double-digit regular season wins, an NCAA tournament appearance wasn’t guaranteed.

Inconsistent offense held Maryland back throughout the regular season. It kept close in matches against top-10 opponents but rarely won, and suffered losses despite dominating possession control.

Penalty corner execution, a constant in Maryland’s defeats this season, proved to be the difference on Thursday. No. 7 seed Ohio State converted on two of its four chances — a mark the Terps couldn’t recover from in a 2-1 loss at Deborah Tobias Field.

“We had great scoring opportunities. I’m sure a lot of the players would like to have them back” coach Missy Meharg said. “Ohio State was very opportunistic, and when they had their chances, they made more than Maryland did.”

Maryland’s season now rests in the hands of the NCAA tournament selection committee. Despite a top-15 national ranking, crucial losses may put the Terps on the cusp of receiving a bid.

“There’s always a chance,” Meharg said. “I think right now, we’re just a little bit numb. We’ll talk about an NCAA [tournament] berth probably another time.”

Maryland (10-8, 5-4 Big Ten) was shutout in all eight of its corner attempts on Thursday, the latter of which marked the Terps’ best look.

The Terps’ final penalty corner setup was nearly flawless. But Fleur Knopert, sitting adjacent to the cage, missed a shot attempt wide with just over two minutes left.

[Maryland field hockey enters Big Ten tournament fighting for its NCAA bid]

Despite a strong start, an inability to convert on opportunities against a statistically weaker opponent plagued Maryland.

The opening five minutes played to the Terps’ advantage. Maryland dominated possessions and intercepted a plethora of Ohio State (8-9, 4-5 Big Ten) passes — a common theme throughout the period, despite three mistimed shot attempts.

“Penalty corners are about isolated execution,” Meharg said. “We’ve [had] a less than desired output on those all season.”

The second quarter trended in similar fashion.

The Terps opened the frame with a failed breakaway opportunity, then backpedaled after an Ohio State counterattack. The Buckeyes then earned a penalty corner after two missed shot attempts — and took advantage.

A strike from Anne Marie Krebs wiped away an ugly first period and put the Buckeyes ahead.

Just minutes after the break, Maia Adamson answered back for the Terps. A run deep in Maryland’s attacking circle led to a timely goal midway through the third frame.

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Ohio State lost five overtime matches in 2025 and seven games by one goal. Its lone extra-period win of the year came against Maryland on Oct. 3. Furthermore, the Buckeyes entered Thursday’s first-round matchup fresh off four consecutive losses and the worst scoring margin in the Big Ten.

But despite stymied momentum, Katie Fichtner responded in the third quarter. The senior scored Ohio State’s second penalty corner goal, which proved to be a game-winner.

Maryland’s desperation was evident down the stretch.

Meharg pulled goalie Alyssa Klebasko from goal with five minutes remaining — a risky tactic against a surging Ohio State offense. The Terps’ offense created improved chances with the player advantage, yet still couldn’t find the net before the final whistle.

“One would say that Maryland outplayed Ohio State in terms of the quality of the match,” Meharg said. “But when it comes to the goal line, they took advantage of the opportunities far better than Maryland.”