Preview: No. 2 Maryland field hockey returns home to take on Indiana

No. 2 Maryland field hockey (11-1) prepares for a Big Ten matchup Friday against Indiana (8-5).

Maryland comes off a phenomenal weekend of overtime wins over then-No. 3 Iowa and then-No. 2 Northwestern. After the wins, Maryland jumped two spots in the Penn Monto/NFHCA Division I Coaches Poll to No. 2. 

Maryland’s game against Iowa was scoreless at the end of the first half. Both sides attempted just two shots each. 

Iowa struck first with under three minutes left in the third. Defender Maura Verleg attempted a pass up field that was intercepted by Hawkeyes forward Alex Wesneski, who took the ball and snuck it past Maryland goalkeeper Paige Kieft to give Iowa the 1-0 lead.

The Terps responded moments later when midfielder Dani van Rootselaar rocketed a shot past Hawkeyes goalkeeper Grace McGuire into the left side of the goal. 

Neither team scored again in regulation, sending the game to overtime, where van Rootselaar would score her second goal of the game to give Maryland the victory. 

Against Northwestern, the Terps fell early after forward Bente Baekers put the Wildcats on the board 2:50 into the game. Van Rootselaar tied the game for the Terps moments later with a penalty corner goal. 

The game remained tied 1-1 in regulation, sending the Terps to their second straight overtime contest. 

Just over two minutes into overtime, van Rootselaar drove the ball down the field for Maryland, slipping a shot between the pads of goalkeeper Annabel Skubisz to give Maryland the victory with her second straight overtime game winner. 

Van Rootselaar was awarded Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor and NFHCA Division One Offensive Player of the Week honors, scoring all four goals for the Terps in their victories over Iowa and Northwestern. Van Rootselaar has nine goals this season, second most for the Terps. 

Forward Hope Rose leads the Terps in scoring with ten goals and seven assists. Rose’s ten goals is tied for fourth most in the Big Ten. Rose was second in the Big Ten last week in goals, but missed the past two games with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. 

“We’ve got 13 or 14 really talented players at every level that can come in and play,” coach Missy Meharg said. “We’ve got the depth to be able to accommodate her situation and until she’s back.”

The Maryland offense has been explosive thus far this season, leading the Big Ten with 3.75 goals per game. Maryland’s average winning margin of 2.42 goals also leads the conference. 

Defensively, the Terps have allowed 1.33 goals per game, tied for fourth best in the Big Ten. For her efforts last week against Iowa and Northwestern, defender Rayne Wright was awarded Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and NFHCA Division One Defensive Player of the Week honors.

“Even though we have these personal accolades, I mostly think [about] how I helped my team and that’s like the most important part,” Wright said. “So just to be able to get that alongside of also getting the wins is pretty exciting.”

Indiana enters the match facing its sixth ranked opponent of the season. The Hoosiers’ only win against a ranked opponent came in a 2-0 victory over then-No. 21 Rutgers in late September.

After the victory over the Scarlet Knights, the Hoosiers fell 4-0 against then-No. 6 Penn State. Despite drawing more penalty corners, the Hoosiers failed to get on the board. Indiana fell behind by two-goals in the first period and couldn’t mount a comeback.

Forward Jemina Cookson leads the scoring for the Hoosiers with six goals and two assists.

Sydney Keld has also contributed offensively for Indiana, registering four goals and three assists. 

Offensively, Indiana is averaging two goals per game, the third fewest in the Big Ten. Indiana has held opponents to 1.69 goals per game, third most in the Big Ten. 

Arabella Loveridge has registered 13 saves for the Hoosiers, allowing 21 goals in the process. 

All-time, Maryland is undefeated against Indiana with ten wins. The last affair resulted in a 8-2 Maryland victory last season.

“We don’t really look totally at what opponent we’re playing but what we can do as a team to better ourselves and make sure that our game is just growing every time,” Wright said. 

The game on Friday will start at 6 p.m. and will take place at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park.