Syracuse

4

1

Maryland

Stats 

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – After controlling the first half, the sixth-ranked Maryland field hockey team faltered in the second to ultimately fall to No. 2 Syracuse, 4-1, Sunday at the Conference Cup at Saint Joseph's.

The Terrapins (1-1) dominated much of the first half, taking the early lead and outshooting the Orange, 9-4. A Syracuse (2-0) scoring surge in the second half was the difference. The shots ended up 15-14 and Maryland took four corners to the Orange's three.

“We're very proud of Maryland's first half,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “We opened up the game and dominated with being first on the board. Syracuse played some championship-level hockey, especially after halftime. They came out of the break on fire and Maryland fell to a really good, first-look-passing team. We weren't able to gain control back. I'm pleased with the opportunity to play Syracuse early in the season. It was 15-14 in shots and 4-3 in penalty corners, so an even match in a lot of areas. Maryland can improve and get better in terms of getting back to the way we played in the first half.”

Senior Grace Balsdon gave the Terps the early lead. They were awarded a penalty corner, then received a penalty stroke on the play. Balsdon buried the shot for the 1-0 lead, 3 minutes into the contest.

Syracuse's Serra Degnan tied the game with 5:16 left in the first half when she sent in a shot off a penalty corner. The score was 1-1 at the break.

The Orange added its second goal just 1:45 into the second half when Elaine Carey finished off an open pass. Syracuse made it a 3-1 lead with 20 minutes to play when Jennifer Bleakney's shot bounced into the goal off of Maryland keeper Sarah Holliday's glove. Syracuse's Nijsje Venrooy deflected in a shot off a penalty corner to make it 4-1 with 15 minutes left in the game.

Holliday made five saves in her 54 minutes in goal. Redshirt junior Sarah Bates notched four saves in the final 16 minutes of the game.

Meharg is in her 29th season as head coach of the Terrapins. She's led them to a record of 510-124-9 (.800), seven NCAA titles, 22 conference titles and 16 Final Fours. She has been named NFHCA National Coach of the Year an unprecedented nine times in her career.

Next, the Terrapins will play No. 4 Duke Friday at 7 p.m. in the B1G/ACC Cup at the Spooky Nook Sports Complex in Lancaster, Pa. The Terps will take on No. 8 Boston College Sunday at 2 p.m. and No. 16 Northwestern will also play in the event.

DEFLECTIONS: The Terps move to 6-2 all-time vs. Syracuse…Maryland was tabbed as the No. 6 team in the country in the Penn Monto/Division I Coaches Preseason poll released Tuesday…The Terps return 14 letterwinners and seven starters from last year's Big Ten title squad.

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