Maryland field hockey has played six top-10 teams this season. They’ve kept it close, but the No. 11 Terps have only but Iowa from that group — who is ranked just one spot ahead of them.
Tuesday brought another top 10 matchup between former ACC rivals as Maryland traveled south for an unusual midweek contest against No. 4-ranked Virginia — arguably its toughest challenge yet.
The match remained tied for 50 minutes as the Terps’ offense showed signs of life. But they failed to score, and two fourth quarter Virginia goals was the difference in the 2-0 loss at University Hall Turf Field.
“I think we had a number of very good opportunities,” coach Missy Meharg said. “We’ll continue to work on the goal scoring piece and more poise.”
For Maryland (9-7), third quarters have been the killer against top-ranked teams. Against Princeton and Northwestern, the Terps let the game slip away after halftime. They looked to change that on Tuesday, attempting four shots in the third period, but the inability to find the net proved costly.
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Virginia (13-1) broke out in the fourth quarter. After struggling to generate consistent shot attempts, the Cavaliers scored two goals in a two-minute span early in the period to put the game out of reach.
For head coach Ole Keusgen, who took over at Virginia in 2023, this is his best team yet. After back-to-back 14-win seasons in 2023 and 2024, the Cavaliers entered Tuesday 12-1, with their only loss coming to then-No. 3 North Carolina.
Virginia’s resume speaks for itself. It’s secured three top-10 wins and allowed just six goals, never allowing more than two in a game. Junior goalkeeper Nilou Lempers has allowed a nation-low .49 goals per game and posted an .88 save percentage.
Maryland has a similar identity but hasn’t played to the level of Virginia. The Terps’ defense has allowed only 15 goals in as many games, but ranks last in the Big Ten in scoring. With Virginia coming in on a three-game winning streak and outscoring its opponents a combined 8-0 in those games, the Cavaliers presented a significant challenge for the Terps.
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Through three quarters, it looked like an even matchup. Maryland goalie Alyssa Klebasko and Lempers proved their status as top goalkeepers in the nation.
Early in the third quarter, Virginia looked to have a wide open shot right next to the goal. It worked the ball deep into the attacking circle as Klebasko was on the other side opposite the net. But she recovered quickly, forcing a missed shot that looked like it was guaranteed to give the Cavaliers the lead.
“[Klebasko is] exceptional,” Meharg said. “She had a couple of flurries there that really kept us in it for a period of time.”
Maryland’s offense looked to generate that momentum into offense. It attempted four shots in the third period, but the inability to score outshined the positive moments. Lempers never let up in Virginia’s goal. She recorded six saves and pitched her fourth consecutive shutout — and ninth of the season.
The Cavaliers attempted four shots of their own in the third period and broke through in the fourth to hand Maryland its seventh loss of the season.
The Terps now have just one game left in the regular season to fix the offensive inconsistencies that have held them back all season if they want to make a deep postseason run.
“I want to say we’ll keep training [shots],” Meharg said. “We’ll keep putting more pressure in training sessions. Maybe you get 10, 11 shots, we can put a couple in… I’m not as interested in the number of stats as the number of outcomes.”
