Box Score COLUMBUS, Ohio – The eighth-ranked Maryland field hockey team (9-3, 4-0 Big Ten) won at Ohio State, 5-2, Friday afternoon to win its seventh straight game. With the win, head coach Missy Meharg picked up career win No. 499.
Three of the Terrapins' goals were scored off of penalty corners, who by senior co-captain Sarah Sprink, who reached the 100-career point mark in the victory. Twenty-three of the Terps' 43 goals on the year have been scored off of corners.
"Maryland captain Sarah Sprink was dominant for 70 minutes," head coach Missy Meharg said. "Our mission was to start the game fast and we did that with getting a goal in the first minute. Outside of a few counter-defense errors, the Terps played in control for 55 of 70 minutes to a very organized, well-coached Buckeyes team."
Sprink wasted no time getting Maryland on the board, as she banged in a score off a penalty corner 59 seconds into the match.
Eleven minutes later, freshman Linnea Gonzales scored off a rebound to make it a two-goal lead. The Buckeyes (6-4, 2-1) answered five minutes later to cut the Terps' lead to one when Casey Cole scored.
Redshirt junior Emma Rissinger pushed Maryland's lead back to two goals six and a half minutes before halftime when she finished off a shot by senior Anna Dessoye.
Ohio State's Maddy Humphrey cut the Terps' lead to one once again with a goal in the 44th minute, but 10 minutes later the Terrapins scored twice in a minute to extend their lead.
Sprink struck off another corner for her second score of the day with 15:27 to play. Forty-four seconds later, fifth-year senior Welma Luus scored off another penalty corner to finalize the score at 5-2.
With her two goals in Friday's win, Sprink reached the 100-point mark and currently has 103 career points.
Maryland took 15 shots to seven and had six penalty corners to one. Freshman goalkeeper Sarah Holliday picked up a save.
Meharg is in her 28th season as head coach of the Terrapins. She's led them to a record of 499-122-9 (.799), seven NCAA titles, 20 conference titles and 16 Final Fours. With one more win, Meharg will be just the fourth Division I head coach to reach the 500-win mark.
Luus was named Co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Tuesday for her first career weekly honor. She scored both of Maryland's goals in a 2-1 win over No. 18 Michigan Friday, then the game-winner in Sunday's win over the Spartans.
Maryland is ranked No. 8 in the latest Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll, released Sept. 29.
Next, the Terrapins will travel to Oxford, Ohio to take on Miami (Ohio) (6-5) Sunday at noon. The Terps-Redhawks game will not be streamed, but live stats will be available.
DEFLECTIONS
Maryland is 9-0 all-time vs. the Buckeyes…Ohio State head coach Anne Wilkinson and Missy Meharg were teammates at Delaware in the 1980s…Maryland is currently atop the Big Ten standings as the first team at 4-0 in conference play.
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