After a pair of first-quarter goals in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals, No. 2-seed Maryland field hockey found itself scuffling against upset-minded Ohio State. The Terps held a mere one-goal lead over the No. 7-seed Buckeyes on a dreary Wednesday afternoon in Columbus, Ohio.
Eventually, the Terps found the breakthrough they were so desperately looking for. Halfway through the final quarter, Babs van Hest threaded a pass through a pack of Ohio State defenders to a wide-open Ella Beach, who flipped
it past Ohio State goalkeeper Avery Alleva to stretch the lead.
Ohio State emptied the net following the goal, but it ultimately ran out of answers. Maryland’s 3-1 win advanced it to the Big Ten tournament semifinals and ended the Buckeyes’ season.
QUOTE
The Terps got the party started about four minutes into the match with a familiar sight: Francisca Eschoyez nailing a shot on a penalty corner. The goal was the junior’s 12th of the season — 11 of which have come from corners, with five breaking a scoreless tie.
The Terps later doubled up in the first period with another familiar sight: van Hest scoring in transition. With just under three minutes to play in the frame, Josie Hollamon lifted the ball towards midfield. As the ball came down from the sky, a whistle blew momentarily. Upon hearing the whistle, Ohio State stopped, but Maryland kept running.
As a result, the Terps had a two-on-one, something they immediately took advantage of. Feliz Kuhne slipped a pass to van Hest on the doorstep, and the Dutch native flicked it past Alleva for her 10th score of the campaign.
Following Maryland’s second goal, the action settled down, as both teams failed to sustain offensive possessions. In the second quarter, each team attempted a mere one shot. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, their one shot found the back of the net.
As the second quarter clock ticked down towards a minute, Ohio State’s Anne Marie Krebs drove down the right wing on Hollamon, who elbowed Krebs and aggressively poked at the ball with her stick. Initially, the referees allowed play to continue, but Ohio State quickly asked for a review when play stopped.
Upon review, Ohio State was granted a penalty corner — it cashed in to trim the deficit. Phillippa Jowett went five-hole on Maryland goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko to ignite Ohio State entering the halftime break.
Ohio State pestered Maryland at the start of the third quarter. The Buckeyes earned a penalty corner right off the bat, but the Terps held steady. Not long after, Maryland had a set piece of its own, but the Buckeyes thwarted the opportunity with a block.
After a slow start, Ohio State improved across the second and third frames. The Buckeyes created more offensive opportunities while minimizing those from Maryland.
QUOTE
While Ohio State may have been the better team in the third quarter, it missed multiple opportunities to knot the score. Halfway through the quarter, Maryland was whistled for a green card, but Ohio State couldn’t do anything on its two-minute player advantage.
The Buckeyes also had two successive set pieces at the end of the period, but the Terps defended them well to maintain the one-goal cushion entering the final frame.
Maryland greeted Ohio State with some pressure in the fourth quarter, as Jordyn Hollamon had a point-blank chance to expand the lead, but Alleva made a massive denial to keep her team close. The freshman could only do so much, though, as a second point-blank chance netted the final goal for the Terps.
Three things to know
1. Maryland’s stars shone on the big stage. Eschoyez and van Hest entered Wednesday’s match as Maryland’s top two goalscorers. The pair provided a major boost in the first quarter, creating an advantage that the Terps maintained the rest of the way.
2. Staple of consistency. Maryland has now reached the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the 10th time in 13 tries.
3. Moving on up. Maryland will play on Friday at 4 p.m. in the Big Ten tournament semifinals against either the No. 3 seed and nationally ranked No. 12 Penn State or the No. 6 seed and nationally ranked No. 10 Iowa.
