COLLEGE PARK, MD -- Freshman Ella Gaitan was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week in an announcement by the conference on Monday. 

On Friday,  Gaitan recorded the game's opening goal in the first quarter to help Maryland defeat No. 17 Penn State 4-2. The goal was the freshman's eighth of the season, ranking second on the team behind Rose's 11 scores. This marks the third time this season that Gaitan has been named Big Ten Freshman of the Week. 
 
This past summer, Gaitan was part of the 2024 U.S. U21 National Team.  She helped the USA Field Hockey U21 Women's National Team to the Silver Medal at the 2024 Junior Pan American Championship which was held July 2-12 at Tamanawis Park in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Their strong performance secured the USA a spot in the 2025 FIH Hockey Junior World Cup.

Before arriving to Maryland, Gaitan was recognized as one of the national's top prospects, being named a 2022 Max Field Hockey Top 50 Player for the 2024 Class.  Her standout high school career earned her several honors in 2021, including MAX Field Hockey Second Team All-New Jersey Region, First Team MAPL, and NJISA Prep "A" All-State First Team.

The Big Ten Conference released the official bracket for the 2024 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament. The Terps will enter the tournament as the No. 2 seed and will face No. 7 Iowa on Thursday, November 7 at 2 p.m. Northwestern, the No. 1 seed, will have a bye in the first round. 

For tickets to all games, please click here. 

Parking:
Free parking is available to fans in Lot 11b, adjacent to the Field Hockey/Lacrosse complex, on a first-come first-served basis. Parking in any other lot is subject to citation per posted signage.

NOTE: Xfinity Visitor Lot (XVL) is NOT available for overflow on Thursday, 11/7. XVL is available on Friday, 11/8 and Sunday, 11/10, but will require payment at all times.