The Terps overcame technical difficulties to extend head coach Missy Meharg’s opening-day win streak.
Early in No. 4 Maryland field hockey’s season-opening clash against the Stanford Cardinal, the power at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex went out. Right as the second half began, the scoreboard went black, the internet cut out, and confusion rang out from the hundreds in the crowd.
For the Terps, though, there was no issue. Maryland’s communication on and off the field did not take a hit and eventually played a crucial role, something that head coach Missy Meharg emphasized after the game.
“They’re in a really shared space all the time, a very safe space. They’re very uninhibited, and this is what I really think is going to lead to a lot of success,” Meharg said.
Despite being without technology for half of the game, the Terps’ early-season connections shone through as they held off Stanford Friday afternoon, defeating it 3-1 in the opening contest of the Conference Cup.
Just 1:40 into the game, forward Ella Gaitan notched the first score of the young season. With Maryland being an inexperienced team — six freshmen made their collegiate field hockey debut Friday — the early goal helped stave off some of the jitters, turning nerves into excitement and anxiety into action.
“It hyped us up a lot. I think we had a lot of energy behind that. Scoring early really, really changed our momentum,” Gaitan said.
The sophomore forward attempted five shots throughout the game — nearly half of the team’s 14 total shots.
On the other side of the field, goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko and her defensive corps held Stanford to just seven shots all day. Klebasko, like her coach, emphasized that the key to defensive success stemmed from efficient communication, both verbally and nonverbally.
“We try to connect lines,” Klebasko explained. “That’s how communication transfers up the field, and we also try to have vision, so it’s not always verbal communication, but it’s seeing each other and knowing the next play before it happens.”
The Terps did especially well to capitalize on Stanford’s aggressive defense Friday. Maryland pressed the Cardinal defense, creating 14 penalty corner opportunities. However, though it lined up at the arc 14 times, Maryland was only able to convert two of those chances into goals, with the scores coming from juniors Maci Bradford and Josie Hollamon.
Meharg credited Stanford’s defensive ability to manipulate the Maryland forwards but also touched on the Terps adaptability, shifting coverage when necessary.
“We figured it out, and we kind of just shifted our whole shape more in front of the ball,” Meharg explained.
After reviewing first half play, the Terps’ offense shifted that shape again, steadily allowing fewer opportunities for Stanford to crack through.
Though Meharg can’t remember the last time she coached in a match where there wasn’t a visible clock or scoreboard, she believes that lack of distractions, like scores and time, may have helped the Terps “hone in on actual quality of play.”
The quality of play was incredibly high for a season opener, and more quality field hockey is in the Terps’ future. Meharg, who scheduled the first three games of the season, picked teams who would challenge Maryland before entering conference play. The Terps will close the Conference Cup by facing Villanova on Sunday at 3 p.m.
Three things to know
1. Still on top. Friday’s victory continues Meharg’s record of consecutive season-opening wins, still 24 years strong.
2. Dominance. Maryland has played Stanford seven times, most recently in August of 2023. The Terps have won every single game.
3. Rekindling the fire. Maryland and its next opponent, Villanova, haven’t played each other since 2011. Both Maryland and Villanova have retained the same coach since that previous meeting.
Category: General Sports
