Box Score PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Fifth-year senior Welma Luus of the seventh-ranked Maryland field hockey team (13-3, 6-0 Big Ten) picked up her first career hat trick to lead the Terrapins past Rutgers (6-9, 0-7), 4-0, Sunday in Piscataway, N.J.
The Terrapins scored all four goals in the first half. With Sunday's victory, Maryland has won 11 straight games since mid-September and has three straight shutouts over the last week and a half.
"The team came out on fire with a contagious attitude," head coach Missy Meharg said. "They played from the heart and so strong tactically. Welma Luus was spectacular up front, obviously with getting a hat trick. The structure of the backfield with Sarah Holliday, Sarah Sprink, Kasey Tapman, Delaney Leathers and Carrie Hanks really held their structure so well. It was a great day for Maryland. We got a lot of players great minutes. Rutgers put us under pressure in the second half and it was a very equal second half in that way."
Luus wasted no time getting the Terrapins on the board, as she tipped in a shot 2:15 into the match for the early lead. In the 13th minute, she scored off a pass from senior Alyssa Parker to make it a two-goal lead for Maryland.
With just over 15 minutes left in the first half, sophomore Carrie Hanks deflected in a shot off a penalty corner to make it 3-0.
Luus finished off her hat trick with seven minutes left in the first period to finalize the score at 4-0.
Freshman goalkeeper Sarah Holliday picked up three saves in the Terps' fourth shutout of the season.
The Terrapins took 16 shots to eight and had five penalty corners to the Scarlet Knights' four.
Maryland is ranked No. 7 in the latest Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll, released Oct 13.
Next, the Terrapins will return home to host Indiana (6-7, 2-2) Friday at 6 p.m. at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. Admission is free and parking will be free and open after 4 p.m.
The Maryland-Indiana game will not be streamed online, but can be heard online through Maryland's campus station, WMUCSports.com. Live Stats will be available and updates will also be posted to the Maryland Field Hockey Twitter feed.
After the Terps-Hoosiers game, fans are invited to stay for Outdoor Movie Night at the Complex. The Terrapins will be showing Finding Nemo on the big screen.
DEFLECTIONS
Maryland leads the all-time series over Rutgers, 27-3-1, and has won the last 10 straight matchups, dating back to 1999… The Terps are 97-33-3 (.741) all-time against Big Ten opponents… Head coach Missy Meharg is 80-13-1 (.856) vs. Big Ten opponents in her 27 years at the helm of the Maryland field hockey program… Fourth-year Rutgers head coach Meredith (Long) Civico is a Maryland field hockey alum...Civico played for Meharg in 2003 and 2005 and was a member of the 2005 NCAA title team…Senior Anna Dessoye currently has 49 career assists...Only five Terrapins have notched 50 assists in program history.
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