As time ticked down in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s NCAA quarterfinal match, No. 2-seed Maryland field hockey clung to a one-goal lead against former ACC rival Duke.
After a video review, Duke was awarded a penalty stroke with 1:16 left. Midfielder Julia Boehringer lined up against Alyssa Klebasko with the crowd on the edge of its seat and players locked arm in arm.
Boehringer chose to go to Klebasko’s right, but so did Klebasko. The Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year made a career-defining save, knocking
down Boehringer’s shot with her blocker to clinch the 2-1 victory and Maryland’s spot at championship weekend.
“Honestly, I was just staying present, and we do strokes almost every day in practice, so I knew that I could save it,” Klebasko said. “Also, we pulled that girl’s old strokes, and I watched each stroke about ten times last night – her footwork, where she placed her hands – so as soon as I saw her step, I knew she was going upper-right, and I was able to step that way.”
The first quarter went by without any scoring. Maryland had chances to break the deadlock throughout the opening period, but Duke’s defense was up to the task. The Blue Devils goalkeeper Kaiya Chepow picked up a big-time stop on an early shot by Maryland’s Maci Bradford while the rest of Duke’s defense denied the Terps on a pair of penalty corners.
On the other side, Maryland’s defense prevented Duke from sustaining attacks. The Terps were aggressive in the midfield, forcing loose balls and intercepting plenty of passes. The Blue Devils tried just one shot in the period, which sailed wide.
The Terps nearly cracked the code to start the second, but Ella Beach’s shot clanked off the post. Eight minutes later, the pressure paid off. Jordyn Hollamon displayed her agility, zig-zagging through countless defenders with fancy stickwork before driving a shot past Chepow. The goal — Hollamon’s 10th of the season — elicited an eruption from the Maryland side as the Terps took the 1-0 lead.
Maryland had a golden chance to double the advantage late in the second frame with four consecutive corners, but Duke held strong. Boehringer made a massive defensive save on a shot from Francisca Eschoyez, and Sophia Miller broke up a pass to the far post to keep the Terps at bay.
Duke couldn’t muster any offense in the second quarter. The Blue Devils neither took a shot nor forced a corner in the second period, and they entered halftime scoreless.
Maryland hampered Duke’s attack throughout the first 30 minutes. As the Blue Devils approached the shooting circle, the Terps compacted, swarming the player with the ball and making it difficult for her to shoot or pass. Duke continuously argued for penalty corners to no avail.
The third quarter was a frame of firsts for Duke, as the Blue Devils forced their first corner, took their first shot on goal and scored their first tally. Juliette Schulten did it herself, as she received the corner insertion and converted a shot to knot the score at one not even five minutes past halftime.
The game was played almost exclusively in the midfield over the next six minutes.
Then, Aida Ierubino provided the spark for the Terps. The freshman made a play well beyond her years, outrunning her defender to the near post and flipping a shot over Chepow to re-establish the lead and send the home crowd into a frenzy. The Terps maintained that 2-1 advantage through the end of the quarter.
Maryland had countless chances to slam the door early in the final frame. The Terps had four set pieces within the first six minutes but failed to find the back of the net. Corners were an Achilles heel on Sunday for the Terps, as they were unsuccessful on all 11 of their opportunities after converting four Friday.
Duke had a few corners to open the fourth quarter, but Erin Callahan put on a defensive masterclass, blocking a shot before intercepting a pass. Duke didn’t have another chance until the penalty shot.
Three things to know
- Return to championship weekend. Maryland is back in the national semifinals for the first time since 2022, marking its 22nd appearance in program history. The Terps will face No. 3-seed Harvard, the first matchup between the teams in four years.
- Clutch gene. Klebasko made three saves on Sunday, with all three coming in the final period. The senior goalkeeper hasn’t been called upon frequently this season, but she was up for the challenge with a massive penalty-stroke denial.
- Flipped the script. When these two teams played in September, Maryland trailed by two goals in the first quarter and fell short in both the shot and corner departments. The Terps never trailed and topped the Blue Devils in nearly every statistical category Sunday.
