No. 2 Maryland field hockey hosted Rutgers for its first Big Ten match at home. 

The Terps never trailed led by sophomore Djuna Eikelboom’s two goals to defeat the Scarlet Knights 3-0 at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.

The win puts Maryland at 9-0, marking its best start since 2018. 

Maryland’s ability to capitalize on its corner opportunities was a major factor in its win. Two of its three goals came via corners. 

Eikelboom scored her first and second goals of the season, working off a Scarlet Knight error and a combative corner. 

As the story goes in every game, Maryland cemented its offense, keeping Rutger’s defense on its toes.

It started with a lob down the field, and the Terps kept it in their offensive circle, capitalizing quickly and earning their first corner just over a minute in. 

“Every day we work on them, and in the first half, I think we had five penalty corners, and I think three of them we missed the goal ourselves,” Maryland head coach Missy Meharg said. “So that’s just a matter of discipline.” 

The Terps defense was especially impressive, holding Rutgers to only nine shots. Four of those came in the fourth quarter with the game out of reach. 

“We have the mentality that we are not going to let them in our circle, and we’re not going to let them take good shots,” Klebasko said. 

Klebasko made six saves on the day, never letting Rutgers find any momentum on offense. 

The Terps led by just one entering the second half, letting Rutgers hang around. The offense struggled to find good looks at the net. But that changed at the end of the third, as junior Francisca Eschoyez converted the corner opportunity to stretch the Terps’ lead to multiple scores. 

Maryland added insurance with just over six minutes left. It earned another corner, and after a few attempts, Eikelboom netted her second goal.

The Scarlet Knights put up four shots in the final frame — the most of any quarter — but failed to put one on the board.

“It’s a real testament to them when you can find a way to get a shutout against a very good tactical team,” Meharg said. 

With their win tied up in a nice 3-0 bow, the Terps would keep their defensive shutdown. They would get their fourth shutout in the last five games, and Alyssa Klebasko would get her 20th career shutout, continuing their undefeated season.

“We’re thrilled with 9-0, but we’re not done, and we’re still hungry,” Klebasko said. “So we celebrate our wins, obviously. But then the next day, we’re looking forward to the next one.”