By: Victoria Ebner
In a close game, the No. 10 Maryland Terrapins fought to a 2-1 victory against the No. 19 Iowa Hawkeyes, improving their record to 2-0 in the Big Ten and 6-3 overall.
The first half proved to be more of a challenge than expected, as the Terps fought to keep up their energy following Monday’s loss to Princeton.
Though the Terps struggled to keep up the intensity, their offense remained clean and organized. Using give-and-go’s to get the ball past Iowa, freshman defender Hannah Bond was used repeatedly to carry the ball down the right sideline.
Also on offense, junior forward Sabrina Rhodes worked dynamically throughout the first half, sprinting past the Hawkeye defense with two breakaways in the first seven minutes.
The Terps were able to squeeze in a few attempts inside the circle. Notably, senior midfielder Lein Holsboer created two penalty corners, resulting in two failed shots on goal by senior defender Carrie Hanks.
Defensively, Bodil Keus maintained consistently strong on defense, able to quickly intercept shots and keep Iowa away from the cage.
As the half stretched on, the Hawkeye offense crept up on a tiring Maryland team, racing through every gap in the Terps’ defense.
The Terps ended the half with six shots and two corners, with Iowa topping them in opportunities. The Hawkeyes had seven shots and three corners. The period was widely uneventful on both sides, as the score stayed stagnant at 0-0.
The second half saw aggressive play from both teams, and Maryland became frantic to get on the scoreboard, with Iowa answering back against the Terp’s tiring defense.
“I think we played a little sluggish,” head coach Missy Meharg said after the game. “ Where we didn’t get goals, we sort of lost our flavor but we were able to pick that back up.”
Sure enough, Maryland was soon able to turn up the heat, finding its golden opportunity as sophomore midfielder Madison Maguire sent a low shot past the goalie’s feet.
“I knew their was a defender on my back and I was trying to cut my angle,” Maguire said. “So I just shot.”
Finally able to achieve a concrete lead over Iowa, the goal seemed to give Maryland the instant rejuvenation it needed, as junior forward Linnea Gonzales scored just two minutes later off a penalty corner. Gonzales’ fourth goal of the season gave the Terps to a 2-0 lead.
Though the Terps had a surge of energy, a tireless Iowa offense was able to challenge Maryland one last time, sneaking in a goal right before the buzzer.
The game ended with a final count for Maryland of 12 shots and five corners, with Iowa having 11 shots and three penalty corners. Maryland is set to continue its season with another home game on Sunday against No. 14 Northwestern.
