Hungry, Excited, Fit and Fast! — 2026 Maryland Field Hockey Season Preview
8/26/2026 5:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Blended with experienced veterans and fresh talent, the Terps are ready for a stout 2026 schedule.
The Terps are ready. The Terps are hungry. The Terps play FAST and are simply excited for a season to remember.
“I’m super excited to see what we can do,” Josie Hollamon said. “We’re learning and growing as a team. ‘Excited’ has just been the theme of camp.”
A roster of 22 Runnin’ Terps is ready for another season of Big Ten field hockey. Enthusiasm is high as a fresh wave of young talent joins the squad, making the Terps a team to be reckoned with.
The analytics tell the story. We’ll be playing a fast-break brand of hockey. On-ball, off-ball and in transition, the Terps’ can run and look forward to wearing teams down.Head Coach Missy Meharg
Enthusiastic about her “22 women that are all going to be able to know their roles, understand what we want to do, and contribute to the outcome of games every day,” Meharg believes her roster has the right leadership, poise, and attitude about the upcoming season.
“We have 22 women who collaboratively contribute to the chemistry and daily training and will impact the outcome of every match," Meharg said. "Our leadership group has been together since April and has managed the team very well. The player-driven level of work and attention to detail have set the right tone for preseason camp.”
Maryland returns five of its top six goal scorers from a season ago, highlighted by Jordyn Hollamon, Josie Hollamon, and Maci Bradford — who combined for 17 of the Terps’ 30 goals in 2025. Josie Hollamon is on Maryland’s leadership team this season, and is loving what she’s seeing in the preseason.
“The vibes have been great,” Josie Hollamon said. “We’re hungry to really get after it this season. We’re working on connectivity, collaboration and team chemistry. This younger group of girls has brought a different energy that’s allowed us to bring the spark every day. We’re just excited to compete.”
Gallery: Field Hockey vs. La Salle (Exh)
The young core consists of 14 underclassmen, including five true freshmen — Aida Ierubino, Eleonora Di Paola, Kendall Gilmore, Ella Beach, and Lily Mitchell — who are already finding a home in College Park.
“The upperclassmen have made it super easy to feel welcome, and it feels like an immediate family,” Ierubino said. “We’re excited to get started.”
The eager faces have stood out to leaders and coaches alike, only adding to the eagerness to get the season started against Drexel on Aug. 28.
Gallery: Field Hockey vs. Richmond (Exh)
Maryland has several new attack penalty corner threats, which Meharg anticipates being the “staple” of the attack. In the goal cage, goalkeepers Alyssa Klebasko and Ryleigh Osborne will have things locked down.
Klebasko enters 2026 with 35 career wins and 17 shutouts after a junior season in the cage that earned her All Big Ten Second Team and two Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week accolades in 2025.
“Alyssa embodies steadiness,” Meharg said. “She has talent, experience and mastery of her technical skills. Ryleigh has had a huge growth preseason camp and is more than ready to compete."
Maryland is ranked No. 13 in the preseason poll playing nine of the top-20 programs. Meharg’s Terps will be battle-tested through and through with a non-conference slate featuring No. 3 Princeton, No. 6 Duke, No.7 Wake Forest, No. 20 Saint Joseph’s, and Boston College.
“Scheduling top opponents is imperative in order to compete in postseason play," Meharg said. "To be the BEST you must play the BEST.”
It’s really exciting. I’m always up for a challenge, and I know the other freshmen feel the same way. It’s going to be a great season, and I think there’s no better way to go after it than to play the best teams and the best players. I think that mindset just shows our team culture and what we want to do with our program.Aida Ierubino
The depth that the 2026 Terps boast may just be their strongest asset in the fast-approaching season. Meharg enters her 39th season, and her many years around the sport have given her a keen eye for telltale signs of a good team, even in the early stages of a season. The selfless competitiveness found each and every day in practice gives Meharg reason to believe this year’s team can compete among the nation’s best.
“These women are competing with intensity every day,” Meharg said. “we have a lot of depth, which is bringing out new levels of growth while setting new standards. It's a pleasure to walk out on the turf and watch the style of play and the players' respect for the game. They’re dedicated, smart hockey players on a mission.”
Maryland’s Big Ten slate features eight marquee games as the Terps make their mark in one of the top conferences in the nation. Five of the nine teams in the conference — No. 1 Northwestern, No. 12 Iowa, No. 13 Maryland, No. 14 Michigan and No. 17 Rutgers — are ranked to start the season, giving the Terps opportunities to flex their strength all season long.
The Big Ten’s always super competitive and gritty. That’s what we’re made for. That’s what Maryland field hockey is. We’re gritty, we’re physical, and we’re going to put the ball in the back of the net, no matter what.Josie Hollamon
Maryland will host 10 home games in 2026 ahead of postseason play, which will begin with the Big Ten Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, in early November. Until then, the Terps will keep approaching every practice, every opponent, and every day with an insatiable hunger and an uncontained excitement.
