A quartet of international talent powers Maryland field hockey’s excellence

In a sport where teamwork is paramount, an international blend of players unites Maryland into a consistent powerhouse in collegiate field hockey. 

Maryland currently has four international players on its roster. Sophomore Hannah Boss, graduate student Nathalie Fiechter and fifth-year senior Maura Verleg are all from the Netherlands. Sophomore Ericka Morris-Adams is from Cheshire, England. 

Coach Missy Meharg said her staff recruits the “very highest” American talent, pairing them with experienced international players.

“They are absolutely parallel with the internationals. But then you get that little touch of difference in the flavor of how the game is played because they’re very indigenous to their style,” Meharg said. “I love seeing a young Dutch girl or a young German player or a young English student-athlete come over here and be able to be in this breath of real diverse hockey.”

Before joining the Terps, Boss played 15 years for the Dutch club team HC Klein Zwitserland, a team in the highest professional field hockey league in the Netherlands. Verleg competed at the highest level of national junior field hockey in the Netherlands, and Fiechter won the national championship in the Super B League, the second-best league in the Netherlands. Morris-Adams played six years of hockey for Bowdon Hightown, a club in England’s Premier League. 

Boss was recruited by former Maryland star Bibi Donraadt. During her COVID-19 year, when Donraadt was home, she played for the same club team Boss had played for her entire life. 

“Bibi came over for dinner one night and told me all about Maryland. I was actually already thinking about an adventure abroad,” Boss said. “Maryland really spoke to me. And when I did some research about the school and the federal program, it was actually an easy choice to come here.”

When the quartet arrived in College Park, it was easy for them to fit in with the team because they had other international teammates to rely on.

“I think especially when you’re new, it’s just nice to have some of the Dutch girls and you can talk your own language for a little bit after a game or something like that, which is good, [it] sometimes relieves some pressure or just [is] nice to be talking your own language,” Fiechter said.

“Everyone knows that the Dutch is the best at field hockey, so I think having those three here just [makes] the level here really great and fun, and especially in England, when I used to play for England, we always used to be scared of the Dutchess,” Morris-Adams said.

Verleg initially felt it was difficult to adjust to the increased amount of strength and conditioning at Maryland. But Morris-Adams “found an easy transition,” stating the sport is the same one she played back in England.

While playing the game they love at a high level, the four also receive a top-notch education at Maryland. After getting her bachelor’s degree, Fiechter said that in order to get a master’s degree at home, she had to take a pre-masters program, allowing her to play a fifth-year with the Terps. 

“The main difference here is that you get help a little bit more with quizzes and these assignments that help you to understand the material, and at home, it’s more like you have to do that yourself and then show up for the exam,” Fiechter said. “And then, you either fail or pass it, so it feels like you get a little bit more help here, which is nice when you’re doing other things with your life too.”

Despite being some of the best field hockey players in the world, Meharg believes the international stars don’t change Maryland’s culture. 

“They’re just normal people that bring diversity and in that way, it teaches us the other part of learning about life through sport,” Meharg said.