By Andrew Diveley
Despite a sluggish start, No. 7 Maryland field hockey rallied in the second half to defeat No. 13 Rutgers, 3-2, in their Big Ten opener Friday afternoon.
With captain Rayne Wright sidelined for the first time in her five-year career, the Terps’ defense faced early challenges, but they overcame them. The Terps remain undefeated at home against Rutgers, improving to 24-0-1 in College Park.
Rutgers dominated the first quarter, striking early when Bridy Molyneaux redirected a wide shot from Anna Cogdell into the bottom right of the cage for her first goal of the season. The Scarlet Knights capitalized on a penalty corner in the tenth minute, marking the first shot taken by either team.
Maryland struggled to find an offensive rhythm without Wright’s leadership, failing to register a shot in the first quarter.
The second quarter was a battle of clears and counterattacks, with neither team able to generate meaningful offensive pressure. Maryland started with possession but couldn’t break through Rutgers’ defense. Both teams were held without a shot.
The teams went into halftime with Rutgers clinging to a 1-0 lead.
In the third quarter, Maryland began to turn the tide.
In the 33rd minute, Kylee Niswonger fired the Terps’ first shot of the game, but Rutgers goalkeeper Sophia Howard made a crucial save. Moments later, Emma Deberdine set up a penalty corner, but Maci Bradford’s shot went wide.
Maryland seemed to find their spark, and in the 44th minute, Hope Rose tied the game with a powerful shot into the cage, assisted by Alina Gerke.
The Terps carried their momentum into the fourth quarter. Josie Hollamon netted a penalty stroke goal in the 52nd minute, giving Maryland its first lead of the game. Two minutes later, Niswonger added a third goal for the Terps, connecting on a penalty corner with a well-placed assist from Ella Gaitan.
“I think I just have a lot of trust in my teammates, and I know where they’re going to put it and where I need to be for them,” Niswonger said.
Rutgers managed to pull one back in the final minute, as Cogdell scored off a penalty corner, but Maryland’s defense held firm to secure the 3-2 victory.
“This was pretty much a team of two different teams … we took no shots in the first half and took six shots in the second. We had one penalty point in the first half and didn’t get a shot and three in the second half,” Terps’ head coach Missy Meharg said. “We had some tactical changes in the second half that really worked to our favor.”
With the win, Maryland improves to 5-2 on the season and starts 1-0 in Big Ten play. The Terps now look ahead to a high-stakes showdown against No. 1 Northwestern next Friday.
