No. 8 Maryland field hockey (11-5, B1G 2-4) offense overwhelmed Michigan State (7-5, B1G 0-6) firing 26 shots, a new season high, and earned 14 penalty corners to shut out the Spartans 4-0. 

This was the Terps second conference win of the season. 

“Taylor Mason’s defense was pivotal in the front third of the field… in what we call the red zone, you can play defense everywhere,” head coach Missy Meharg said. 

From the opening whistle, the Terps dominated scoring early. Just 80 seconds into the match, Terps forward Margot Lawn intercepted a Spartans pass back towards the net and sent the ball to the right of Spartans goalie Monique Jardell to give the Terps an early 1-0 lead. 

In the first quarter alone, the Terps had outshot the Spartans 9-1. 

Two minutes into the second quarter, Terps midfielder Nathalie Fiechter scored off a penalty corner. 

The Terps took five additional shots to raise their advantage in shots to 15-1. The offense did not relent in the second half. 

Three minutes into the third quarter, midfielder Julianna Tornetta sent a short pass over to defender Taylor Mason at the top of the circle and Mason punched the shot into the net to extend the Terps lead to 3-0. 

“I think we just really listened to the game plan,” Mason said. “We were able to transition super well from our press to our attack.”

Two minutes later, defender Maura Verleg deflected defender Riley Donelley’s initial shot off the team’s tenth penalty corner on the day into the net to extend the Terps lead to 4-0. 

Donnelly recorded two assists on both the goals scored off corners. 

The Spartans only shot came just 2:48 into the game when forward Lia Sinisi sent the shot wide left of the net and the Spartans failed to earn any penalty corners.

“I think that our one-on-one defense has gotten so much cleaner…so that we understand how to just not allow frivolous defensive penalty corners,” Terps goalie Noelle Frost said. 

The Terps will stay in Michigan and travel to Ann Arbor to face No. 2 Michigan on Sunday at 1 p.m.