No. 13 Maryland field hockey found itself in a deadlock at the end of regulation with No. 6 Duke.
After one scoreless overtime period, the Terps and the Blue Devils headed to a shootout.
In the shootout, Maryland reigned supreme, scoring in three of the four rounds. Francisca Eschoyez found the back of the net to secure a 3-2 win, helping the Terps pass their first true test of the season.
The Terps won the shootout 3-1, with goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko a major force in their most impressive win to date.
But before the overtime period, the Terps scrambled to tie the game.
Early in the fourth quarter, Duke picked up a yellow card to put Maryland at an advantage, but failed to record a shot during that period.
In a complete flip, though, Maia Adamson would get a yellow card, and the Terps would decide to pull goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko in an attempt to find an equalizer.
In the 58th minute of the game, Ella Beach scored her first collegiate goal on a deflection from Rachael Whitehead’s shot to advance them into overtime.
In a well-fought overtime period, neither team found the net. They both generated offense, but none of their attempts rang through, even with some strong possessions.
What had started as clear Duke dominance turned into a scrappy, well-battled game between the Terps and the Blue Devils.
After the first half, it seemed Duke was going to take the win, but the Terps fought back and cemented themselves as the clear winner and a true contender.
The first half was dominated by the Blue Devils’ offense, as they picked up two goals in the first quarter to set themselves ahead.
In what had been a powerhouse in Friday’s win against Boston College, the Maryland defense allowed both of its goals from corners, double the number it had allowed all season.
Maryland earned the first corner of the game, and those attempts were some of the only offense they generated in the first quarter.
Duke struck first with a penalty corner goal in the first quarter, followed by another score six minutes later to take a multi-score lead. The Blue Devils would continue to hold on to
possession, trading blows with Maryland’s defense before scoring a line-drive goal on a corner.
The Terps answered early in the second frame. Two minutes into the quarter, Francisca Eschoyez scored on a line drive from the top of the circle during a corner.
The Maryland goal changed the pace of the game, as the Terps took more chances on the field, maintained more possession, and stepped up on the defensive end. The strong defensive performance gave the Terps offense time to tie the game, which they did with just over two minutes in regulation, and eventually closed it out in shootouts.
Early in the fourth quarter, Duke picked up a yellow card to put Maryland at an advantage, but failed to record a shot during that period.
Head coach Missy Meharg and the Terps earned a signature early win to advance their record to 4-0.
Maryland will come back home to take on Towson on Sep. 11, at 6 p.m. on WMUC Sports.
