The first penalty corner of No. 10 Maryland field hockey’s clash against Penn came after just one minute of play. Forward Maci Bradford took to the baseline, then swept the ball across the circle to Fleur Knopert. Knopert took an accurate swing at the goal, but her shot was blocked by Quakers goalie Ruby de Frees.
The Terps’ second corner came shortly after the first, and yielded much better results. Bradford once again took a stance toward the goalie, lining up for a pass to fellow forward Ella Gaitan.
Gaitan knocked the ball back to Bradford, who had a wide-open look to convert the first goal of the game.
With a goal under its belt, a fire lit under Maryland’s feet. That early momentum catapulted the Terps to a 3-1 victory over Penn in the Terrapin Invitational Friday.
Penn forward Honor Roberts retaliated to Maryland’s first score, using the Quakers’ first penalty corner opportunity to tie the game just four minutes after the Terps took the lead.
Maryland’s next big offensive possession didn’t come until 10 minutes later, lining up around the circle for yet another scoring opportunity. Bradford passed again to Gaitan, who launched the ball towards the goal. It narrowly missed, bouncing off the post.
Forward Djuna Eikelboom took a similar chance earlier in the second quarter during an offensive crackdown on Penn’s defense. With a clear look towards the goal, Eikelboom slid the ball right around Penn’s defense, but barely missed the inside wall of the goal.
A Maryland foul in the final 90 seconds of the first half opened the door for Penn to take the lead with a penalty shot. Knopert acted as a wall after the ball was inserted, knocking it so far from the Quakers it went out of bounds.
Alyssa Klebasko requested a video review with just 45 seconds left before halftime, hoping to avoid another penalty corner. Even though the call on the field remained, Klebasko blocked three shots on goal in just 25 seconds, solidifying her 85.7% save percentage for the game.
After two unsuccessful team shots and aggressive midfield action, midfielder Maia Adamson found herself with a ball at her stick, a wide open field and three and a half minutes remaining in the third quarter.
She began her trek down the center of the field, swerving through Quakers’ midfielders and defenders. Without a clear look towards the net, Adamson passed to Bradford in the middle of the shooting circle. Bradford found the net again, finally allowing the Terps to reclaim their lead.
Bradford moved to three goals for the season so far, tying for the team lead with freshman Jordyn Hollamon. Despite that individual success, though, Bradford attributed much of Friday’s scoring to the hard work of her teammates.
“We talked a lot about working together, making eye contact, we’re communicating,” Bradford explained. “Our connection off the field is very strong, and it helps us on the field.”
Callie Rogers found herself in a similar position as Adamson only two minutes later. Rogers quickly slid the ball to Maddie Vasilios, who was able to chip the ball to the top right corner of the net for another goal, doubling the lead and cementing what ended up the final score.
The fourth quarter saw a battle of defenders, with zero allowed shots on goal from either team. With a strong lead set in stone, Maryland was tasked with keeping the Quakers out of the shooting circle, a task they managed well, closing the match.
Three things to know
1. Back end stood tall. Maryland’s defense locked down Penn’s offense, leaving them scoreless after their first goal, and shotless for the entirety of the second half.
2. Deep into the bench. Meharg played 19 players out of her 26-player roster. Only goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko stayed in for the entire game; every other player only played 42 minutes on average.
3. Back in action. Maddie Vasilios’ goal on Friday marked the junior’s first goal since August 2023 against UC Davis in her freshman year.
