Box Score
#12 Northwestern
2
3
#3 Maryland
COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Big Ten Player of the Year Welma Luus scored 1:41 seconds into overtime to send the top-seeded Maryland field hockey team to its third straight Big Ten Championship game. The Terps (17-3) beat fourth-seeded Northwestern (13-8), 3-2, in overtime Friday in the Semifinals at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex.
The Terrapins trailed twice in the game, but goals by Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year Grace Balsdon and freshman Sophie Pelzer tied the game to force the extra period.
“Coming back from being behind twice and we found a way to just dominate towards the end game,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “Overtime has been our time and we take that mindset from [women's basketball coach] Brenda Frese and some of the great battles her teams have had in overtime. I couldn't be more proud of the Maryland women. They are resilient, they are tough and they are intensely focused.”
The Wildcats got on the board first with a score off a penalty corner by Isabel Flens in the seventh minute.
Balsdon slammed home the equalizer when she scored off a penalty corner less than four minutes later, just 10:25 into the match. Luus and Anouk van Asbeck assisted on the goal.
Northwestern took the lead once more when Flens scored off a penalty corner in the 20th minute. The Wildcats would hold a 2-1 lead at half.
Pelzer tied it up for Maryland in the 55th minute when she brought it in along the baseline, then slipped through the Northwestern goalkeeper's legs for the score.
Flens was given a five-minute yellow card with 1:32 remaining in regulation. The penalty carried into the 15-minute, seven-aside overtime period.
Just 1:38 into overtime, junior Carrie Hanks cracked a shot that was saved, then Luus collected the rebound and buried it into the lower part of the cage for the score.
Maryland took 21 shots to Northwestern's eight. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Sarah Bates made four saves on the day.
The Terps advance to take on second-seeded Penn State (16-2) Sunday at noon in the Big Ten Championship game at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. For tickets and more information, click here. Parking is free and open.
The Big Ten Championship game will be shown live around the world on the Big Ten Network. Click here to get your channel number for BTN. BTN is available on all major video providers, including DIRECTV, Verizon FiOS, Comcast Xfinity, and about 300 additional video providers across North America. Fans can also watch on BTN2Go, or on the BTN's mobile app, and will be asked to enter their cable login information.
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 be posted to the Maryland Field Hockey Twitter feed here.
Luus was named Big Ten Player of the Year and Balsdon was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year the league announced Wednesday.
Both were named to the All-Big Ten First Team, as voted by the league's nine head coaches. Junior Lein Holsboer was voted to the All-Big Ten Second Team. With Luus' and Balsdon's honors this year, 15 Terrapins in program history have earned 20 conference Player of the Year awards.
Maryland is currently ranked No. 3 in the latest RPI and national rankings, available here.
The Terrapins will learn their NCAA Tournament fate won the NCAA Selection Show Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.
DEFLECTIONS: The Terps are now 7-1 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament… Maryland is 16-7 all-time vs. Northwestern and 6-0 vs. the Wildcats at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex… The Terps are 111-34-3 (.760) all-time against Big Ten opponents… Meharg is 94-14-1 (.867) vs. Big Ten opponents in her 29 years at the helm of the Maryland field hockey program…Maryland is 158-17 (.903) in the 13 seasons at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex…The Terrapins are 35-1 (.972) vs. Big Ten opponents at the Complex…They have won 25 straight matchups vs. Big Ten opponents at the Complex…Meharg owns a record of 526-126-9 (.803) in her 29 years as head coach of the Terrapins.
-Terps-
