COLLEGE PARK, MD – No. 7 Maryland opened Big Ten conference play with a 3-2 victory over No. 13 Rutgers on Friday at the Maryland Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex. Maryland improved to 5-2 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play.
Josie Hollamon scored the go-ahead goal on a penalty shot in the 52nd minute to lift the Terps above the Scarlet Knights. Kylee Niswonger added an insurance goal in the next minute. The score was Niswonger's team-leading fourth goal of the season. Ella Gaitan earned the assist on Maryland's third score.
Hope Rose scored the equalizer late in the third quarter. The goal was the 39th of her career and her second of the season. Alina Gerke was credited with the assist, which was the first of her career in a Maryland uniform after transferring from Vermont.
Maryland's scores came after the Scarlet Knights (3-3, 0-1 B1G) scored the game's first goal just 10 minutes into the first quarter. They added one final score with less than 30 seconds remaining in the contest.
Annemijn Klijnhout keyed the Terps' defensive play throughout the contest. Along with numerous interceptions, the freshman recorded a defensive save. Ericka Morris-Adams also came up big on defense, warding off Scarlet Knight players hoping for a late-game equalizer as the clock ran out.
Maryland improved its record against Rutgers to 37-5-1. The Terps remain undefeated against the Scarlet Knights at home, with a record of 24-0-1.
Coach Meharg's Take
- "What I love about the team is their ability to be able to pull each other up and follow the game plan," Meharg said. "We had some tactical changes in the second half that really worked in our favor. And I love the way our midfield played. The speed of our midfield, Maya Everett, Emma DeBerdine, they really added an incredible amount of speed."
Josie Hollamon's Take
- "I had a lot of time to think before she got there," said Hollamon, describing her mindset before the penalty shot. "I was just thinking, I need to nail this so we can get our momentum up and win the game. I was just confident where I was going and hoped to bury it."
Breaking Down The Action
- The teams traded possession before Maryland claimed the first penalty corner of the game midway through the first quarter. The Terps couldn't convert on the early penalty corner opportunity.
- The Scarlet Knights earned a penalty corner on their next sequence, but the Terps' defense cut it off.
- Rutgers put one through on their second penalty corner later in the first period. The score was 1-0 going into the second quarter.
- The second quarter featured more back-and-forth possessions. Neither team scored in the period, keeping the score at 1-0 heading into halftime.
- Ella Gaitan hit a well-placed shot off of Maryland's second penalty corner early in the third quarter, but the Rutgers goalkeeper batted it away.
- The officials called a Maya Everett score back.
- Hope Rose equalized for the Terps at the end of the third quarter. Alina Gerke delivered the assist, launching a long shot from the sideline that Rose directed to the back of the net.
- Maryland held off multiple Rutgers penalty corners as the clock winded down in the third quarter.
- The Terps converted on an all-important penalty shot midway through the fourth quarter. Josie Hollamon launched a shot past the Scarlet Knights goalkeeper to put Maryland up 2-1.
- Kylee Niswonger quickly added another Terps score off an Ella Gaitan assist, extending Maryland's lead to 3-1.
- Rutgers scored again in the final minute off of a penalty corner, but Maryland put up a defensive stand to hold their one-point advantage and win the game.
Series Success
- Maryland is 37-5-1 all-time against Rutgers. They are undefeated against the Scarlet Knights at home, 24-0-1.
- The Terps defeated the Scarlet Knights 2-1 in their last matchup in the Big Ten Tournament.
Notable Numbers
- 1: Midfielder Maya Everett made her first career start for the Terps.
- 1: Alina Gerke recorded the first assist as a Terp.
- 3: Maryland earned its third ranked win of the season.
- 4: Kylee Niswonger scored her team-leading fourth goal of the season.
- 6: Josie Hollamon scored her sixth career goal and her second of the 2024 season.
- 24: The Terps are 24-0-1 against Rutgers at home.
- 37: Maryland is 37-5-1 all-time against Rutgers.
- 39: Hope Rose's goal was the 39th of her career, including her second of the season.
- 258: The Terrapins are 258-90 in program history against ranked teams.
Up Next
- Maryland continues Big Ten play at home against current No. 1 Northwestern next Friday, Sept. 27. The top-10 match up will begin at 6 p.m. at the Maryland Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex and be streamed live on Big Ten Plus.
