Maryland's Delmar Girls

For Josie Hollamon, Maci Bradford and Ashlyn Carr, Maryland field hockey has become one big family reunion. The girls all hail from Delmar, DE and all used to attend Delmar High School—and now they’re all together in College Park playing for one of the most storied field hockey programs in the country.

“It’s a family,” said head coach Missy Meharg. “And that family has the love of the game and the ability to play at the highest level. To bring that energy and family to College Park is just an extension of what we’ve always done.” 

“It’s just all these little ties that come together,” Carr said. “It’s such a small world.”

The connections between the girls extends further than just growing up together in Delmar. Hollamon and Bradford are cousins and their mothers, Jodi and Juli, were both star players growing up together in Pocomoke City, MD and later went on to play at the University of Delaware. Additionally, their aunt Susie Pusey was one of the winningest high school field hockey coaches ever at Pocomoke City High School. 

All three of the Delmar girls played for Shore Byrds Field Hockey club teams growing up, a club that the two sisters, Jodi and Juli own. Jodi Hollamon also coached Carr in high school, in addition to coaching her daughter and niece. 

“They started a culture of super, super spirited competitors,” Meharg said of Jodi and Juli. “And they are winners.”

The familiar ties extend to the coaching staff as well. Assistant coach Kasey Tapman Asper, who won a National Championship with Maryland in 2011, also grew up in Pocomoke City. She was coached by Juli on youth teams before being coached by both Jodi and Susie in high school. Back before she was Bradford’s assistant coach, Asper was her babysitter and Bradford would attend her games together. 

“I’ve known them since they were babies and watched them grow up over the years,” Asper said of the three Delmar girls. “It was like they came out of the womb with a field hockey stick.”

That same sense of family that was found in Delmar has been brought to College Park this year—as Hollamon and Bradford joined the Terps as freshman and Carr joined as a graduate transfer coming from the University of Delaware. 

“It’s just really cool that we all ended up at Maryland,” Bradford said. “We’re all here, being passionate, and doing what we love.”

The girls are used to doing things together all the time and making short trips to each other’s houses whenever they want. 

“I go home and I live on the same road as Josie,” Carr said. “I’ll train at her house and Maci will come over.”

Now, that routine is pretty much the same—except the girls now visit each other's dorm rooms and train at the Maryland Field Hockey and Women’s Lacrosse Complex. 

“At home, we’re all together, all the time,” Bradford said. “We see each other everyday like we do here. And then when you come to Maryland, it's like you have a piece of home with you everyday.”

The familiarity between the three has helped all three adapt to new surroundings. Together, they’ve been a terrific addition to the program.

“We’re always talking about field hockey,” Carr said. “And coming back to play with them, it just helps the chemistry. We know each other and we can back each other up no matter what.”

“They play like sisters,” Meharg said. “They’re constantly on each other’s vibe. Every step in training really matters to them and they’re really eager to get better.”

All three have shined on the field in their first years as Terps and are a prime reason why the team is in the midst of yet another excellent season with a consensus top-10 ranking. 

“They bring that work hard, play-hard mentality everyday at practice,” Asper said. “And that leads to game day.”

As true freshmen, Hollamon and Bradford have both started all 18 games, combining for 34 points on the season. Carr has played in all 18 games and started 16, adding four points of her own out of the midfield position.

“We know our expectations and we know how hard we can push each other,” Hollamon said. “To be able to go to practice everyday, grind it out, and go against each other and work as hard as we can, we couldn’t ask for anything else.” 

The Delmar trio will be a key factor as Maryland heads into postseason play, starting with the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday where the Terps are the third-seed.

After years and years playing and training together in the state just over from Maryland, the girls are ready for the challenge. 

“When they get on the field together, it’s not necessarily about the style, the technique and the strategy, it’s about their heart and their will,” Meharg said. “It’s unmatched.”