Minutes into the second overtime, Princeton received a penalty corner. As expected, the pass went to Beth Yeager, the leading goal scorer for the Tigers.
With the shot set up, Yeager took a few steps forward and fired the ball into the left corner of the goal. Starting goalkeeper Paige Kieft lunged out to stop the shot, but her efforts weren’t enough as the shot beat her. Yeager’s shot was the winner, as No. 3 Maryland field hockey dropped its first game of the season, 4-3 against No. 7 Princeton.
The loss was Maryland’s first of the season, dropping the Terps to 7-1.
“You know it’s the energy of the game isn’t it,” coach Missy Meharg said. “Like you know all of a sudden you get a goal and you go up three times and you know you let down just a little bit, a good team is going to take advantage.”
The first penalty corner of the game occurred roughly three minutes into the first quarter for Maryland. Midfielder Emma DeBerdine inserted the ball to midfielder Dani van Rootselaar, whose shot missed the mark, hitting the side of the goal.
Moments later, midfielder Bibi Donraadt sent a shot towards the right side of the goal, but Princeton goalkeeper Robyn Thompson came up with the diving save.
Maryland received its second penalty corner with a little over four minutes left in the quarter. DeBerdine passed the ball into van Rootselaar again, who fired a shot to the right side of the goal. Thompson came up with a kick save, halting the Terps’ penalty corner.
Princeton took the missed penalty shot and drove down the field on a fastbreak, getting past Kieft. However, Maryland’s defense recovered and blocked the Tigers’ scoring opportunity.
The game was scoreless at the end of the first. Maryland went 0-2 on penalty corners during the quarter.
Both teams started the second quarter slow offensively, as neither team created many scoring opportunities.
On the Terps’ third penalty corner, defender Nathalie Fiechter sent the ball into van Rootselaar. Van Rootselaar faked her shot and passed it to forward Hope Rose, who sent it towards the right side of the goal past Thompson. Rose’s shot found the back of the net, giving Maryland the first score of the game. The score was Rose’s eighth of the season and Fiechter notched her third assist as well.
The Terps’ defense limited the scoring opportunities from the Tigers the rest of the half, and Maryland entered halftime leading 1-0.
Princeton received its first penalty corner in the opening minutes of the second half. Defender Hannah Davey received the ball and took a few steps forward before sending a rocket into the right side of the goal. The shot was too fast for Kieft to catch up with, tying the game at one. The goal was Davey’s first of the season.
Moments later, Donraadt drove down the left side of the field and passed to forward Margot Lawn in front of the goal. Lawn tapped the ball into the goal to put Maryland back ahead, 2-1. After a lengthy review, the goal stood, Lawn’s third of the season.
With two minutes left in the third, Princeton set up its offense near the goal. Forward Claire Donovan attempted a shot that deflected off multiple sticks and landed near forward Ali McCarthy. McCarthy took the ball and tapped it into the left corner of the goal to tie the game, her second goal of the season.
Princeton began the fourth aggressive, picking up its second penalty corner of the game in the opening moments of the quarter. However, the corner attempt was stalled by Maryland’s defense.
Minutes later, Princeton attempted its third penalty corner, but again the Terps’ defense came through, as Kieft came up with the save.
With eight minutes left in the game, Maryland set up its offense near the goal. Midfielder Sophie Klautz passed the ball to Rose, standing to the left of the goal. Rose drilled a shot into the right corner, giving Maryland the lead, 3-2. The goal was Rose’s second of the game.
Maryland attempted another penalty corner with a little more than three minutes remaining. The Terps capitalized as Van Rootselaar’s shot clanked off the pipe, narrowly extending their lead to two.
Princeton received a penalty corner attempt with a little over two minutes remaining, but Maryland’s defense blew up the play. On the second attempt however, Yeager rifled a high shot past Kieft to tie the score at three.
“I think Paige did a fine job,” Meharg said. “She’s young she’s gonna get more and more experienced, so super pleased for her that she was able to make a big number of saves.”
Neither team scored again in the final two minutes, sending the game to overtime.
At the end of regulation, Maryland led in shots taken 15:7, with nine shots on goal.
Maryland seemed to gain traction in overtime when Donraadt drove down the field and fired a shot, but the shot was stick-saved by Thompson.
The Tigers received the first penalty corner of overtime with 3:21 remaining. Claire Donavan inserted the ball to Yaeger, whose shot was blocked.
The Terps received their first penalty corner of overtime with a minute left. The shot by defender Maura Verleg got deflected off a Princeton stick.
After a scramble for the ball near the goal, Princeton received a penalty corner with five seconds left.
The ball was inserted to Yaeger, but her shot was too high as it deflected off the top pipe to end the first overtime.
Moments into the second overtime, Princeton received a penalty corner.
Yeager again received the shot on the insertion. Yaeger fired the shot into the left corner of the goal, beating the outstretched arms of the diving Kieft to defeat Maryland 4-3.
“Yeah, that’s definitely one of the best drag clickers in the country,” DeBerdine said. “Nothing really we could do to stop that. It’s really just going to go in either way.”
The score was Yaeger’s second goal of the game, and the final score of the game.
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