No. 8 Maryland field hockey hands No. 7 Michigan its first shutout loss in 2-0 win

Photo by Ashley Ray/Maryland Terrapins

After falling to No. 3 Ohio State on Friday on a late-minute penalty corner goal, Maryland had the chance to do the same against No. 7 Michigan.

Josie Hollamon took the hold and stickhandled with the ball to her left side before rifling a shot across her body and into the bottom corner to give Maryland a 2-0 lead and a crucial insurance goal with 2:15 left in the fourth quarter.

Backed by stout defense and efficient penalty corner scoring , No. 8 Maryland (10-4, 5-2 Big Ten) downed Michigan (11-2, 4-1 Big Ten) 2-0, snapping the Wolverines’ 11-game win streak on Sunday at The Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.

“The play that Josie scored on was actually very much because of something that Ohio State showed us that they were going to be able to read,” coach Missy Meharg said on adjustments made after Friday’s game against Ohio State. “Instead of flipping it (Hollamon) actually just took it. So Abby [Tamer] got completely off-footed, and we were able to finish on it.”

The Wolverines entered Sunday’s contest, leading the Big Ten in goals with 54 goals. Tamer and graduate student Kate McLaughlin had produced most of the Wolverines’ offense as each entered Sunday’s game with double-digit goals. But the upperclassmen were silenced by Maryland’s defense.

Tamer— who led the 2024 USA Olympic Team in goals with two goals — produced four of Michigan’s nine shots, but Maryland’s defense completely eliminated McLaughlin.

In prior games, head coach Missy Meharg emphasized the importance of midfield speed, and the Terps’ speed was problematic for the Wolverines. Maryland generated many turnovers, constantly double-teaming and pressuring McLaughlin and Tamer. When Tamer wasn’t smothered by Maryland’s midfield defenders Rayne Wright and Ericka Morris-Adams prevented Tamer was generating much offensively.

“Rayne Wright has a lot of experience of shutting down key players [on] defense,” Emma DeBerdine said on Wright’s performance. “We trust her completely to be able to get the job done, and she has all weekend.”

The Terps defense also did an excellent job limiting the number of penalty corners, surrendering just four. While Maryland only allowed five against Ohio State, a last-minute penalty corner goal by Makenna Webster in the fourth quarter secured a win for the Buckeyes.

Against Michigan, Maryland’s defensive penalty unit was much better, blocking three shots and forcing Michigan’s only other penalty corner shot wide. 

But the Terps’ defensive unit was at its best in the fourth quarter as DeBerdine and Meharg both received green cards, putting the Terps down a player for four combined minutes. The Terps backed the middle of the field, forcing Michigan to the perimeter of the defense, and when Maryland forced a turnover, they used quick passes to play keep-away from the Wolverines and drain time off the clock.

“With Emma out those two minutes, I was super concerned,” Meharg said. “But … we had all older people in there just managing kind of a fall away [with] two forwards [and] just play defense and run the clock and until Emma can get back in.”

Despite Michigan entering the game with 17 first-quarter goals, both sides had a cagey start. Each team’s midfield speed caused problems, producing a multitude of turnovers and forcing the majority of early play to be concentrated on the perimeter and in the center third.

The lone shot of the first quarter game came from Maryland. Emma DeBerdine started the ball by placing a perfect pass between two defenders and hitting Fleur Knopert in stride, charging up the right side of the attacking third. Knopert stayed straight to the net before ripping a shot towards the far post for a redirection but could not connect.

Maryland continued to produce offensively in the following quarter as the Terps drew their first penalty corner with 10:31 remaining in the second quarter. As she’s done all season, DeBerdine started the penalty corner, but this time, passed it to co-captain Kylee Niswonger. The senior set the hold for Hope Rose, who ripped a shot off Olympian Abby Tamer’s stick and popped up in the air over goalkeeper Hala Silverstein.

Rose’s goal was the first time the Wolverines had surrendered a goal since Sept. 29 against Miami Ohio, and the first time an opponent had scored first against Michigan since Sept. 1 against then-No. 18 Wake Forest.

The lone other penalty corner came on Hollamon’s late goal, allowing Maryland to double its lead and claim a crucial insurance goal.

Maryland will look to keep up its momentum as it travels to New Jersey to face No. 15 Princeton on Friday.