No. 2-seed Maryland field hockey has a knack for fast starts. Entering Friday’s Big Ten tournament semifinal against No. 6-seed Iowa, the Terps had outscored opponents by 11 in the first quarter.
By the time the first 15 minutes had elapsed on Friday in Columbus, Ohio, the Terps added two more goals to the aforementioned total. Maryland’s fast start set the tone for what turned out to be a 4-1 demolition of Iowa.
Like the teams’ regular-season matchup a week ago, Maryland jumped on Iowa for a quick
score. Despite failures on its first two penalty corners, Maryland maintained pressure and eventually broke Iowa’s tight defense. Jordyn Hollamon used a brilliant backhanded shot from the left wing to the top right corner of the cage to get the offense started five minutes into the match.
10 minutes later, the Terps made it two in the first frame. On an unconventional penalty corner routine, Babs van Hest received the insertion, rotated to her right and attempted a shot towards the near post. The ball immediately clanked off an Iowa defender and was redirected over the head of Iowa goalkeeper Julia Claessens to make it 2-0.
The early explosion was eerily similar to last Friday’s matchup. In the first meeting, Maryland scored three times in the opening quarter and forced Iowa to switch goalies. While Maryland only scored twice this time around, the Terps still forced Iowa’s hand. When the second quarter began, Abby Johnson was in net for the Hawkeyes.
“I think it was the way we got the penalty corners. We used some nice deflections in the shell area that got into people’s feet,” said head coach Missy Meharg. “I think we were super creative, and [the players] believed that they could pick up each other’s balls that they just tipped in [the net].”
Iowa settled down in the second quarter, holding Maryland’s offense to two shots and one corner while generating transition offense. As the quarter wound down, Iowa’s attack was at its best with relentless pressure in the shooting circle. However, the Hawkeyes couldn’t find the net, as goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko and defender Josie Hollamon teamed up to make a trio of big-time denials and keep the Hawkeyes scoreless heading into the break.
Hollamon especially was on her game. On a pair of occasions in that sequence, Klebasko was slightly out of position, but Hollamon was there to stop the ball’s advancements and distribute it to her teammates, who cleared the ball away from danger.
Maryland came out the aggressor in the second half, creating four set pieces off the bat. It took all four of those corners, but the Terps eventually found their third goal of the affair. Maci Bradford fed Ella Beach with a perfect centering pass, and the freshman tapped it home for her fourth goal in the last five matches.
“She’s amazing,” Meharg said. “You can play her anywhere on the field, any way through the midfield, she can split seams and eliminate two people on reception going forward. She’s playing really good hockey.”
Penalty corners were an area of intrigue on Friday. Throughout the season, the Terps often went to Francisca Eschoyez as a drag flicker from the top of the circle, but on Friday, the Terps used a variety of different routines.
“We knew their first runners were so fast, athletic and were blocking a lot, so we had to come from different angles,” said Meharg. “We had to get around them, so we had to use a lot of different options that had bigger angles.”
Iowa got a bit closer midway through the third frame on a transition breakaway goal from star Fréderique van Cleef, her 19th of the season. However, the Terps restored their three-goal advantage right back, as van Hest deflected a shot from Eschoyez past Johnson. The Terps cruised the rest of the way to lock up their 18th win in 19 tries.
Three things to know
1. Handled the Hawkeyes. In two games this season, the Terps outscored the Hawkeyes, 9-2. Five of Maryland’s nine goals came in either of the two opening quarters.
2. Crusade of corners. Maryland owned the penalty corner department, obtaining 10 corners to Iowa’s one. The Terps scored twice on set pieces to boost their cause.
3. Conference crown on the line. Maryland will square off with national No. 2 and Big Ten Tournament No. 1-seed Northwestern on Sunday afternoon in the conference final. The Terps are looking to avenge their lone regular season loss with its first Big Ten Tournament title since 2018.
