No. 7 Maryland field hockey’s Big Ten slate will officially get underway Saturday, as the Terps will take on No. 8 Penn State in both team’s first conference matchup of the season.
Maryland comes into the game against the Nittany Lions after an all around dominant win over unranked California in their previous game, moving their record to 4-1.
The Terps’ defense has been stifling as of late, as they have not allowed a goal in their past 14 quarters. In the game against Cal, the Terps played solid team defense, not leaving goalkeeper Noelle Frost out there having to save everything.
The stout defensive trio of Maura Verleg, Rayne Wright, and Riley Donnelly were forces to be reckoned with on defense, as their constant movement and defensive aggression limited Cal on offense.
Goalie Noelle Frost posted her third straight shutout of the season, and the 13th of her career, after only needing to make two saves all game due to the stout team defense from the Terps.
“We’ve been really focused on playing the best Maryland field hockey and the best brand that we can play. Really focused on goal scoring and framing the cage,” junior midfielder Belle Bressler said. “Penn State is obviously a big rival and we want to bring our best hockey. We’re really pushing each other in practice and we’re hoping to just play our best.”
With Penn State being such a close rival, head coach of the Terps Missy Meharg already is familiar with some of the Nittany Lions players.
“Every single one of those players we know so well. A lot of our players have played for X-Caliber club, have played for WC Eagles, Alley Cats,” Meharg said. “My hope for the game is that we stay wicked focused on the quality of the match and not get into the rivalries and relationships that have existed when these young great women were all playing together when they were six through thirteen years old.”
Penn State comes in with a perfect 5-0 record, jumping up eight spots from their preseason ranking. The Nittany Lions have yet to lose a game due to some prolific offensive outputs, as they are top ten among all Division I teams in scoring average.
Their highest scoring outcome came in their second game of the season against William and Mary, as they put up a remarkable seven goals on the board.
The Nittany Lions have played excellent team offense thus far in the season, as Penn State has multiple players in the top ten in both goals per game and assists per game in the entire Division I conference.
Penn State’s leading scorer Anna Simon leads the Nittany Lions in goals, with seven, and has been the most clutch player for her squad. The senior from Germany already has three game winning goals thus far.
In the head-to-head history between Maryland and Penn State, dating back to 1975, the Terrapins trail the Nittany Lions 18-25-1. In their last matchup in March, Maryland managed to squeak by Penn State on the road, winning 3-2.
The Terps hope to win two in a row against Penn State for the first time since 2016, when they ran off six straight wins, occurring from 2008-2016.
The game on Saturday will start at 1 p.m. and will take place at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park.
