No. 11 Maryland field hockey entered its final regular season matchup against Northeastern looking to establish its offense.
The Terps hadn’t scored more than a single goal in a game in four weeks — needing to turn opportunities into goals.
“What I really want is for us to be able to get on the board, to be able to feel a little more freed up,” coach Missy Meharg said on Thursday.
The Terps did that, scoring a fourth-minute goal by Maddie Vasilios, and the dynamic sister duo of Josie and Jordyn Hollamon added insurance scores for a 4-0 victory Sunday at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.
“It’s the most goals we scored, we had a couple back post goals we’ve been working really hard on, [and] first touch rebounds, which is great… We’ve been working on that discipline and it couldn’t come at a better time.”
Since opening weekend, Maryland (10-7, 5-3 Big Ten) hadn’t established a multi-score lead in the first half. Every game was within one goal at half and the Terps grew accustomed to playing in tight contests.
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With the postseason starting Thursday, the offense needed to create an identity against Northeastern (9-8, 3-3 CAA), which has struggled against power conference competition. The Huskies struggled in their other Big Ten matchup on Sep. 14 and were outshot by Ohio State 17-2. Northeastern earned just two penalty corners in the 2-0 loss.
The increase in competition was evident again on Sunday as Maryland jumped out to the early and never let up.
The Terps outshot the Huskies 28-4 — the highest differential of the season with 16 shots on goal.
“28 shots to four goals, though. I think it could be a little bit better,” Josie Hollamon said. “But I am proud that we were able to put the ball on cage and get a lot of outcomes.”
Northeastern first earned a penalty corner, but it would benefit the Terps. The defense stopped the Huskies attempt, leading to a counterattack opportunity. Maryland raced down the left side, passing it across the field to freshman Brinkley Eyre, who found Vasilios for the goal.
Josie Hollamon added another score with a penalty corner in the second. The Terps offense consistently kept the ball in attacking situations, while defensive pressure stifled Northeastern’s attempts to cross midfield.
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In the third quarter, the Terps stayed on Northeastern’s side of the field for most of the quarter, and attempted nine total shots on seven penalty corners. They failed to score despite several opportunities deep in the attacking circle — similar to the issues they’ve had the entire season.
They corrected those mistakes in the fourth. Two goals in just over two minutes from Jordyn Hollamon and Maya Everett extended the lead.
Goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko had a quiet day behind her strong defense, though shined in her chances. Klebasko made two saves on three Huskies shots to earn her fifth shutout of the season.
The Terps now look ahead to the Big Ten tournament with a rematch against Ohio State on Thursday in Bloomington, Indiana. With a mediocre 5-3 conference slate and prior loss to the Buckeyes, it’s a chance for Big Ten redemption.
“I’m hoping [the win] brings a lot of momentum while we go into the Big Ten tournament,” Josie Hollamon said. “I’m really glad that we get to come out there and hopefully go on a little bit of a revenge tour.”
