Maryland field hockey looks ahead to next season

Photo courtesy of Ashley Ray/Maryland Terrapins

With just minutes remaining in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Maryland found itself in a familiar situation against Duke — down by one with the goalkeeper pulled.

The Terps suffered its first loss of the season to the Blue Devils on Sept. 8 by a score of 1-0 and suffered the same fate in their final game, falling 1-0 to Duke at Karon Shelton Stadium in North Carolina. The first-round exit was the first time Maryland failed to reach the second round since 2015.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t bring our A-game in the first two quarters, which set us on our heels,” head coach Missy Meharg said after the game about the loss. “I thought we played with more vibrance and more connectivity in the third and fourth [quarters].” 

The Terps will lose seven seniors this year, including cornerstone players like midfielder Emma DeBerdine, forward Hope Rose, and defender Rayne Wright.

Rose and DeBerdine both earned First Team All-Big Ten accolades this season, but their contributions showed up in different ways. Rose’s efforts often showed up on the scoresheet, leading the team in goals and points, with 12 and 26 respectively. But DeBerdine’s contributions were much more subtle.

After spending her summer representing Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the graduate student had one final year of college eligibility and chose to use it to play one final season at Maryland. DeBerdine recorded just five assists on the season but was a key function in Maryland’s transition game, often finding gaps in the opposing team’s defense in the middle of the field before springing the attack forward by finding a player streaking up the sides of the field. 

DeBerdine was a workhorse for the Terps, logging the second-most minutes among Maryland midfielders and delivering the entry feed on nearly every offensive penalty corner.

While Wright didn’t earn a First Team All-Big Ten nomination, she still secured a Second Team All-Big Ten honor.

Wright was crucial to Maryland’s defensive structure, often drawing assignments against top players like Duke’s Alaina McVeigh and Michigan’s Olympian Abby Tamer when the Terps ran man coverage defenses.

But like prior seasons, Maryland has players who can fill in. On defense, Josie Hollamon may be poised for a bigger role. The sophomore was one of three Terps to receive First Team All-Big Ten accolades and provided not only excellent defensive play but added scoring. 

Holloman was a constant presence on the field, logging 100 more minutes than any non-goalkeeper and guiding a Maryland defense that surrendered just 19 goals in 20 games — second fewest only to Northwestern. Additionally, Holloman provided scoring to Maryland’s backfield, finishing the season tied for third on the team in goals with five.

On offense, the Terps will likely look toward forward Ella Gaitan to help fill the scoring void left by Rose. The freshman finished second on the team in goals and points, with nine and 21 respectively, last season, earning her Big Ten All-Freshman Team and Second Team All-Big Ten recognition.

While Meharg said the Terps are still recruiting players, she added that eight have already signed contracts to play at Maryland, which may help Maryland fill in the losses of its seven seniors.

The most notable of the bunch is midfielder Brinkley Eyre. The incoming freshmen ranks inside MAX Field Hockey’s Top 50 rankings — the rankings were last updated in February of 2023 — but is also one of three freshmen who will be playing with their older sister next season.

“During the recruitment process, process, that really wasn’t a big piece of it,” Meharg said about having three sister pairings next season. “I didn’t recruit it that way. It just so happened that they were that talented.”

Eyre bolsters an impressive resume heading into her freshman year as The Washington Post named her the All-Met Player of the Year and broke a Maryland state record last season with 59 goals.

Additionally, Meharg said that Eyre will be grey-shirting next semester, allowing Eyre to graduate high school early and begin playing with Maryland in January.

“AJ [Eyre] did it last year,” Meharg said. “We typically have one or two [players] that do it every year.”