No. 10 Maryland field hockey is undefeated in College Park and hasn’t relinquished its National Field Hockey Coaches Association top-10 ranking.
The Terps will defend both their record and ranking against No 12. Michigan at 5 p.m. on Friday and No. 8 Princeton at noon on Sunday. Both games will take place at The Plex and stream on Big Ten Plus.
No. 12 Michigan Wolverines (5-2, 1-0 Big Ten)
2024 record: 15-5, 5-3 Big Ten
The Wolverines are the reigning Big Ten Tournament champions, having beaten Maryland in the tournament semifinals. However, on the national
stage, neither team was able to move past the second round. Head coach Kristi Gannon Fisher is in her first season at the helm, having worked for nine seasons on Marcia Pankratz’s coaching staff before Pankratz retired this offseason.
Michigan had won five games in a row — including a 13-0 shutout against Bellarmine — before losing Sunday to James Madison.
Players to watch
Abby Tamer, redshirt senior forward/midfielder, No. 4 – Tamer made history as the first Wolverine to play field hockey in the Olympics, representing the United States in 2024. After her time in Paris, the forward/midfielder was named to the NFHCA All-American and All-Big Ten first teams. Currently, Tamer leads Michigan with five goals, two of which were game-winners.
Caylie McMahon, redshirt senior goalkeeper, No. 1 – McMahon has guarded the Wolverine cage through all five years of her eligibility. Last season, the graduate student earned a perfect 100% save percentage in her seven games in goal and contributed five shutouts. McMahon logged two saves in Michigan’s conference opener against Michigan State and regularly splits time in net with Hala Silverstein.
Strength
Loyalty. Excluding the redshirt freshmen, every player on Michigan’s roster has played for the Wolverines in every year of eligibility — a feat not very many collegiate athletic teams can attest to, including Maryland. This means the Wolverines have chemistry and scheme familiarity which could give them an advantage in communication on the field.
Weakness
Defensive youth. Of the eight defenders on Michigan’s roster, five of them are freshman or redshirt freshman, meaning they have little experience with Big Ten gameplay. The Wolverines defense may have difficulty meeting Maryland’s defensive speed.
No. 8 Princeton Tigers (4-2, 1-0 Ivy League)
2024 record: 14-6, 7-0 Ivy League
Princeton has posted three shutouts in a row leading up to this weekend’s match. To close last season, the Tigers lost to Harvard in the Ivy League tournament final, and they were shut out by Saint Joseph’s in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Tigers’ head coach Carla Tagliente played at Maryland for four years under Missy Meharg. During her time as a Terp, Tagliente earned first-team NFHCA All-American honors three times and was named US Field Hockey Association Female Athlete of the Year. She also served as a coaching volunteer for the Terps in 2001.
Players to watch
Beth Yeager, senior midfielder, No. 17 – Yeager is the reigning Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year and has earned the title three times. Before her junior season, the midfielder spent her summer in Paris, playing in every game of the 2024 Summer Olympics on the United States team. Yeager currently leads the Tigers in goals and assists with four each on the season.
Ella Cashman, junior midfielder/defender, No. 16 – As a sophomore, Cashman was named to the All Mid-Atlantic Region first team. In 2024, the junior scored six goals, two of which led to an overtime win against Harvard. Cashman leads Princeton with a 100% shots-on-goal rate and ranks second in goals scored.
Strength
Shot accuracy. As a team, the Tigers have put 65.2% of their shots on goal, while the Terps have only challenged the goalkeeper on 49.5% of attempts. This weekend, Maryland will be tested with being as accurate as possible, while the defenders are charged with keeping the Tigers out of the shooting circle.
Weakness
Offensive depth. Both last season and this season so far, Yeager led her team by at least double the amount of goals and by multiple assists. This gives Maryland’s defensive core an intimidating task; locking down Yeager could close off Princeton’s scoring opportunities.
Three things to watch
1. National ambassadors. Maryland, Michigan and Princeton’s head coaches all represented the U.S. on the national team as a player. Only Maryland head coach Missy Meharg coached and played on the team.
2. Tradition of excellence. Before losing to the Wolverines last season, Maryland shut out Michigan three times in a row over three years. All-time, the Terps lead their series, 11-3.
3. Homecoming for Tagliente. Sunday will mark the former Maryland legend’s fifth game back in College Park as the Tigers’ head coach and Princeton’s 30th matchup all-time with Maryland. The Terps lead the Tigers all-time, 22-7.
