Box Score
#13 Old Dominion
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2
#7 Maryland
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The seventh-ranked Maryland field hockey team (9-3) topped No. 13 Old Dominion (6-5), 2-1, Tuesday evening at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. Goals by sophomore Olivia Reiter and fifth-year senior Welma Luus were the difference in the game.
“This was a great result for us,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “Old Dominion came out with a great press against us, bringing the ball out of the back. Our backfield is so talented with the ball structure with Carrie Hanks and Grace Balsdon back there. Their goalkeeper, Robles, was phenomenal. I was so pleased with our maturity. Field hockey, soccer, these are low-scoring games and you just have to stay resilient, stay structured, keep passing the ball around and knock them in.”
The Terrapins got on the board first when Reiter tipped in a goal off a rebound on a penalty corner in the 14th minute. The Monarchs tied it up with 1:33 left in the half with Danielle Grega scored off the rebound of her initial shot.
Maryland controlled most of the first half, outshooting Old Dominion, 12-3, but the teams stayed tied at the break.
Luus broke the tie when she banged one in off a long run by sophomore Linnea Gonzales. Her goal gave the Terps a 2-1 lead with just over 24 minutes to play.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Sarah Bates made her first career start in goal and picked up two saves.
Maryland outshot Old Dominion, 21-4 and had seven penalty corners to three.
Balsdon was named Co-Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Tuesday for the second straight week in a row. She helped lead Maryland to a win over a top-10 team with a 3-2 victory over No. 9 Michigan Friday. With the Wolverines up 1-0 in the first half, Balsdon made a defensive save in the 28th minute to hold the score at a one-goal lead. In the 44th minute, she scored off a penalty corner to tie the game for Maryland.
Balsdon and Luus lead Maryland with 10 goals each, Gonzales has six and Emma Rissinger has five, giving the Terps one of the most balanced attacked in the country.
Next, the Terrapins will host Michigan State (5-6, 1-2) Friday at 6 p.m. at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. Admission is free and parking will be free after 4 p.m.
The University of Maryland Athletics Department will be hosting Maryland United Night at the Terps' field hockey game versus Michigan State and men's soccer match against Ohio State Friday evening.
Friday night's festivities – which coincide with National Coming Out Day Oct. 11 - will include:
• T-shirts inspired by former Maryland men's soccer standout and current LA Galaxy star Robbie Rogers
• Rick Knight - a member of the DC Gay Men's Chorus - will be singing the National Anthem at field hockey
• The Office of Diversity and Inclusion will have information for fans to learn more about acceptance
The Maryland-Michigan State 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.
Fans outside of the U.S. will be able to watch here, using their BTN Plus subscriptions.
Live Stats will be available and updates will also be posted to the Maryland Field Hockey Twitter feed, so "Follow" to get updates sent straight to you.
DEFLECTIONS: Maryland owns the all-time series over Old Dominion, 32-26-1… Maryland is 10-5 vs. the Monarchs at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex…ODU head coach Andrew Griffiths was an assistant coach at Maryland under Meharg from 1998-99 and 2001-04. Together, they won the 1999 national title… The Terps are 152-17 (.899) all-time at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex since it opened in 2003.
Maryland and Old Dominion own more national championships in field hockey than any other team. The Monarchs have won nine titles (82, 83, 84, 88, 90, 91, 92, 98, 00) and Maryland has won eight (87, 93, 99, 05, 06, 08, 10, 11). North Carolina has the next-most with six (89, 95, 96, 97, 07, 09).
- Terps -
