Maryland’s first penalty corner opportunity of the match came with just under eight minutes to go in the opening quarter.
If you blinked, you might have missed it.
In a flash, forward Margot Lawn inserted a corner pass to graduate student Sammy Popper at the top of the circle. In a textbook setup, Popper proceeded to collect the ball and snipe a shot straight past a diving keeper and into the back of the net.
This season, the Terps are 9-2 in games where they score first and 7-1 when they lead at halftime. Thanks to Popper’s early goal, this early offensive dominance continued as No. 10 Maryland clawed their way to a 1-0 shutout road win over No. 16 Michigan.
Keeper Alyssa Klebasko remains undefeated as a starter, owning the second-highest save percentage in the NCAA with .865 and the fourth-best goals-against average of .643.
The freshman continued her defensive masterclass in the wake of Popper’s goal. On a penalty corner opportunity late in the first quarter, Michigan senior Anouk Veen powered a laser shot in the direction of the goal. But somehow, Klebasko managed to extend and make a diving block to collect her first save of the day.
Then, in the opening minutes of the second quarter, it was Klebasko making a save once again, this time on a set shot from Wolverines’ senior Lora Clarke.
Maryland’s defense held strong throughout the second period, holding Michigan scoreless for the entire quarter. But despite not scoring, the Wolverines still dominated the ball offensively, taking advantage of possessions and quick pass entries past the midfield line.
“We need to be far more poised on ball starts,” said head coach Missy Meharg at halftime. “We’re playing too frantically.”
The Terps attempted only three shots in the quarter – one misfire by sophomore Hannah Boss that went wide, two close shots by freshman Maci Bradford that were just stopped by Wolverines’ keeper Caylie McMahon.
Three more tough saves from Klebasko closed out the half. In the first 30 minutes of play, Michigan outshot the Terps 15-6, but their failure to capitalize allowed the road team to keep a precious one-score lead.
The third quarter could be seen as a heavyweight fight, with both teams failing to land the knockout punch. The Terps led the pace offensively with two quick fast break shots. But after two missed opportunities – one wide shot by Boss, one blocked shot by Bradford, respectively – the Wolverines roared back, controlling almost every possession for the remaining nine minutes of the quarter.
Maryland’s defense stepped up yet again, this time by deflecting, blocking, and influencing four straight missed Michigan shots.
“Just great pressure on the ball…we work so hard at that,” Meharg stressed after the match. “I couldn’t be prouder of Rayne [Wright], Maura [Verleg], Ericka [Morris-Adams], and Josie [Hollamon]. They really put pressure on the [Michigan] shooters.”
A final save by Klebasko as time expired served as the freshman’s eighth of the day – a new career-high – and the Terps headed to the final quarter gridlocked at one-nothing.
“Alyssa [Klebasko] probably had the game of her career,” Meharg emphasized. “We all can attest to that.”
In contrast to the fast-paced speed seen throughout the first 45 minutes of play, the fourth quarter in Ann Arbor was all crickets.
Three cards issued – two green against Michigan; one green, one yellow against Maryland – temporarily stopped play, but neither team could capitalize with zero combined shots attempted in the final 15 minutes.
The dramatic win gives the Terps their fourth shutout win this season, moving their overall record to 11-3 and an impressive 22-5 all-time series record over the Wolverines.
“It wasn’t the prettiest [match],” said Meharg. “But wins don’t have to be pretty.”
Maryland’s weekend road trip concludes this Sunday at 1:00 p.m. in an early afternoon, top-10 matchup against No. 9 Ohio State (12-4).
