COLLEGE PARK, MD – Limited offensive opportunities and untimely mistakes doomed No. 7 Maryland (7-3, 1-2) against No. 4 Northwestern, 3-1, Thursday evening in College Park.
The first quarter was a physical, defensive battle as both teams earned green cards within the first two minutes of play. The Terps looked to control possession and looked for any holes in the opposing back lines, earning a corner in the process but not able to cash-in.
A play off of a Maryland corner in the second quarter sprung the Wildcats (9-2, 1-1) on a two-on-one breakaway that they put past goalie
Noelle Frost to give Northwestern a 1-0 lead 3:00 into the second quarter. The Terps continued to press forward but they could not sustain an offensive threat. Despite controlling possession for the majority of the second quarter, Maryland allowed a late goal off of a penalty corner but it was quickly waved off with the Terps heading into the half trailing 1-0.
Coming out of halftime, the Terrapins picked up where they left off as they controlled possession, looking to find an equalizer. A run down the left side by
Hope Rose gave the Terps a good opportunity but it was turned away by the Wildcat goalie. Back-to-back turnovers in the defensive zone gave Northwestern more chances but the chances were turned aside after great defensive plays by
Riley Donnelly and
Rayne Wright. Once again though Northwestern was able to capitalize on a mistake and go up 2-0 heading into the fourth quarter.
The Wildcats made a comeback attempt for Maryland that much more difficult as they scored an early fourth quarter goal off of a penalty corner that redirected off of Frost. The Terps refused to quit as attackers
Bibi Donraadt,
Kyler Greenwalt, and
Margot Lawn all continued to press forward to try and chip into the lead. Northwestern was in full prevent mode as Maryland began to buzz around the cage with time winding down but the offense couldn't crack the Wildcat net minder. The Terps were finally able to get on the board with under a minute left as a pass from
Emma DeBerdine found Rose who got the Terps on the board with under a minute to play.
Missy Meharg's Take
"The outcome is super disappointing. We outshot them and started out very strong. I think with a team like this, you hope it's going to be a low-scoring game. I think we have to understand if you're going to make unforced errors in the belly of the field, you're going to pay against any great team. I thought that we dominated in many aspects of the game. Obviously, we will continue working on our goal scoring. Our corner defense is typically very strong. It was not at its strength today, so we will look forward to Iowa here on Sunday.
"It's a great league, we're a great team. We're still a work in progress. We're getting better every day and we will watch video, work on this and get it right."
B1G Attendee
- Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren made his first trip to College Park this week and took in the night's action.
- Before the game, Commissioner Warren was on the field taking photos with Maryland head coach Missy Meharg and Northwestern head coach Tracey Fuchs.
Up Next
- The Terps will welcome the No. 1 team in the country to College Park as they'll take on the top-ranked Iowa Hawkeyes on Sunday, Oct. 3 at noon. Admission is free and Sunday is the Terrapins' pink game for breast cancer awareness.
- Terps -
