Box Score COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Senior Anna Dessoye scored twice and added an assist to lead the 10th-ranked Maryland field hockey team to a 3-2 win over No. 12 Northwestern in both teams' Big Ten opener Friday at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
The senior scored once in the first half, once in the second and added an assist in between to lead Maryland (4-3, 1-0 Big Ten) to its second straight victory. She leads the Terrapins with 14 points this season off four goals and six assists.
“I applaud Northwestern,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “They're very well-coached, they're very athletic, they're very tough. I'm glad that we opened with them. Maryland needed a win where we statistically won the game – where we won it on the board and we won it in the back of the cage. I couldn't be more pleased of our women. They were very resilient and even to give up a goal and play for the last nine minutes with a one goal difference really showed their character.”
Northwestern (6-3, 0-1) got on the board first when Eva van Agt deflected in a shot from Dominique Masters off a penalty corner with six minutes left in the first half.
Dessoye tied it up just before the break when she banged in a pass from fellow Senior Sarah Sprink off a penalty corner with 2:22 left in the half.
Eight minutes into the second half, Dessoye flipped it to freshman Linnea Gonzales on the left side of the circle. Gonzales slammed it into the low part of the cage to give Maryland a 2-1 lead with 26:36 to play.
Forty-eight seconds later, Dessoye banged one in from the same side as Gonzales, the top left side of the circle, to make it a two-goal lead for the Terrapins.
The Wildcats' Masters made it a 3-2 game with 9:52 to play when she dribbled along the baseline and knocked one in.
Freshman goalkeeper Sarah Holliday made four saves, including three in the first half. The Terrapins took 20 shots to Northwestern's eight and had nine penalty corners to two.
Dessoye scored twice for the sixth time in her career and first time this season.
“Anna is an amazing field hockey player,” Meharg said. “When she plays like that, we're very dominant. Her fitness level is world-class that really helps us when you have an engine room like we have with her, Alyssa Parker, Emma Rissinger. Northwestern is a fantastic team. You don't get 20 shots on a team like that, unless you are really fit because they are so physically tough.”
Meharg is in her 28th season as head coach of the Terrapins. She's led them to a record of 494-122-9 (.798), seven NCAA titles, 20 conference titles and 16 Final Fours.
Next, the Terrapins will host New Hampshire (2-3) at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex Sunday at noon. Admission is free and parking will be free all day.
The Terrapins will be hosting a Pregame Fan Fest with arts & crafts, inflatables, face painting, games and more. The Terps will be singing autographs after the game and kids 12 and under are invited play on the same field as the Terps at the conclusion of the game. For the Terrapins' full promotional schedule, click here.
The Maryland-New Hampshire game will be streamed live on the BTN2Go app, which is the official app of the Big Ten Network. It will be a BTN Plus production and will require an additional subscription. Fans can access all Big Ten content on BTN Plus for $119.95 per year or a $14.95 monthly subscription. A Maryland School Pass for BTN Plus, which includes all Terrapin contests, home and away, on BTN Plus for $79.95 per year or for a $9.95 monthly subscription.
Live Stats will be available and updates will also be posted to the Maryland Field Hockey Twitter feed.
DEFLECTIONS
Maryland is 14-6 all-time vs. Northwestern and 5-0 vs. the Wildcats at home at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex…The Terrapins are 92-33-3 (.730) vs. Big Ten teams…Missy Meharg is 75-13-1 (.848) against Big Ten opponents…Junior Floor Paanakker made her first career appearance as a Terrapin Friday…Friday's game was the Terps' Pride game…Each team that has a home contest during the season will host one "PRIDE" game in which all student-athletes, coaches and staff are encourage to attend.
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