With 2:22 left in the first overtime, the Terps earned a penalty corner. Midfielder Emma DeBerdine struck the ball, but the initial shot was blocked. The Terps then regained control and defender Maura Verleg sent the ball into the net for the game winning goal.
“It was so much fun,” Verleg said. “Also, Emma [DeBerdine] had a great assist, so we all worked hard for it.”
No. 9 Maryland field hockey (5-2, 0-1 B1G) outlasted No. 17 Princeton (2-4) in overtime to win 4-3.
“The team today was just so vigilant,” head coach Missy Meharg said.
After the opening 12 minutes lacked any considerable action the following seven minutes featured four goals combined.
With 2:45 left in the first quarter, the Terps earned two penalty corners in a row. On their second penalty corner, forward Hope Rose’s shot was blocked by the Tigers goalie Robyn Thompson but the rebound bounced in front of forward Bibi Donraadt who tapped the ball into the empty left side of the net to give the Terps a 1-0.
Seconds later, Princeton drove the ball down the field and earned their own penalty corner. Terps goalie Noelle Frost saved Hannah Davey’s shot but the rebound landed in front of Tigers defender Claire Donovan.
The Terps wasted little time taking back the lead. Forward Margot Lawn received the ball to start the second quarter and raced up the left side. Lawn found midfielder Emma DeBerdine in the circle and Lawn sent the ball across to her. Emma DeBerdine sent the ball into the net.
About five minutes later, Princeton responded when Tigers midfielder Beth Yeager sent the ball to forward Grace Schulze who scored to tie the game back up at 2-2.
In the third quarter, the Tigers earned their third penalty corner of the game. Tigers forward Bridget Murphy’s shot was blocked but Yeager deflected the ball into the net to give the Tigers their first lead of the game.
In the final frame, Christiana Calandra replaced Frost and had a critical slap save to keep the Terps deficit at one. Once the game reached overtime, Frost returned to the match.
“When you get to October and November you have to have two goalies that everyone believes in,” Meharg said.
With 4:51 left in regulation, midfielder Brooke DeBerdine sent the ball across the circle. The ball snuck in the far post to tie the game back up at 3-3.
“I’m glad I could serve the team and make a goal at that time, it felt a little weird, but I’ll take it,” Brooke DeBerdine said.
Brooke DeBerdine’s goal is only the fourth collegiate goal of her career.
Emma DeBerdine picked up a yellow card with less than two minutes to go in regulation and had to sit out the first 3:30 of overtime.
Right before Emma DeBerdine’s penalty expired, Donraadt appeared to have scored her second overtime goal of the season, but the refs reviewed the call and noticed the ball hit Donraadt’s arm, so the goal was overturned.
A few minutes later the Terps overtime penalty corner capitalized on the opportunity to secure the win.
The Terps will travel to Bloomington to face Indiana on Friday at 12 p.m. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
