In a back and forth first half Maryland field hockey (5-3, B1G) battled Indiana (0-8, B1G), but in the third quarter the Terps’ offense ignited to ride a 3-1 victory for their third straight win.
The Terps remain undefeated against the Hoosiers.
The Terps and Hoosiers played a scoreless first quarter with only one shot taken by each team and zero penalty corners.
The second quarter was more evenly matched with the Terps and Hoosiers trading goals off of penalty corners.
The Terps struck first with a goal by defender Riley Donnelly off their first penalty corner of the game.
Four minutes later, after a Hoosiers breakaway, Indiana drew their first penalty corner and only one of the game. Midfielder Mary Kate Kesler scored the goal for the Hoosiers only their second of the season causing their bench and fans to erupt.
“They definitely in our outlet clocked the center of the field really well which made it difficult for us to get the ball up the field sometimes,” Donnelly said. “They have a lot of speedy forwards who were really trying to manipulate us and break free.”
In the first half and beginning of the third quarter the Terps were plagued by green cards earning three with two coming from midfielder Emma DeBerdine and one by midfielder/forward Taylor Mason.
“Defense is defense,” Meharg said. “You have to recognize when you are in position to play the ball and just accept, ball body goal. Sometimes we have a tendency to be a bit impatient. I always worry about teams when you are not getting cards cause that means you are probably not that aggressive.”
Towards the end of the third quarter, Mason scored the second goal for the Terps with a shot from the upper right side of the shooting circle with an assist by Emma DeBerdine giving the Terps a 2-1 lead.
A minute later, the Terps added to their lead with another goal by Donnelly off one the Terps’ six third quarter penalty corners.
Despite converting two of their nine penalty corners into goals the Terps had a run of four straight penalty corners but were unable to convert.
“I think when you get into a sequence of corners like that you are trying to work one corner call off another one,” Meharg said. “Our execution on our inserts, the person who pushes [the ball] out weren’t the most accurate today. We are still a work in progress on our corners.”
Indiana goalie Shannon McNally recorded five saves highlighted by four straight stops on the Terps penalty corners.
Defender Maura Verleg and forward Bibi Donraadt each picked up two assists.
The Terps have a bye next weekend and will be back in action against Iowa on April 2 at 5 p.m. in Iowa.
