Maryland’s field hockey squad advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game with a thrilling come from behind 3-2 overtime win over the Northwestern Wildcats Friday afternoon at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park. The victory provided a measure of redemption for the Terrapins as they avenged their only conference loss of the season and eliminated the only team that has beaten them in conference play since Maryland joined the B1G three seasons ago.
The Terps had to come from behind twice just so set up the overtime. Northwestern got on the board first scoring just six and a half minutes into the game. Maryland goalie Sarah Bates made a kick save on an early Wildcats penalty corner but senior midfielder Isabel Flens corralled the rebound and drove the ball into the far top corner of the goal.
Grace Balsdon, who earlier in the week was named the Big Ten Defender of the Year got the equalizer just four minutes later as the Terps score on their first penalty corner. The score, coming off a low driving drag flick was Balsdon’s 13th of the season. However, Northwestern needed just ten minutes to retake the lead when Flens scored her second of the game this one again coming off a penalty corner with 15 and a half minutes to play in the first half.
The game got a bit chippy and very physical and the Terps’ Linnea Gonzales picked up a green card with just two seconds left in the first half. The Wildcats would not only take their 2-1 lead into the break but would start the second half with a player advantage for the first 1:58.
The physical play continued and the officials would dole out three more green cards with two going to Northwestern and another to Maryland. Just 23 seconds later, Maryland took advantage of the player advantage when freshman Sophie Pelzer drove along the base line and squeezed a shot just between the legs of Northwestern goalie Lindsa von der Luft. The Terps had again tied the score with a bit more 16 minutes to play in regulation.
Although Maryland controlled much of the play and pressed forward throughout, they were unable to find the net. However, a key moment came with a minute and a half to play when Flens was whistled for a hard check and, perhaps in a reaction to the roughness of the game, was issued not a green card but a yellow card that would sideline her for five minutes.
Field hockey overtimes are played with seven players rather than the normal complement of eleven. This opens up the field and increases the chances of a goal. With Flens sidelined to serve out the balance of her penalty, the Terps would play seven of six for the first three and a half minutes. Maryland showed great patience in building their attack. Junior defender Carrie Hanks found some space inside the scoring circle and blasted a shot that von der Luft saved.
The ball caromed out to Welma Luus. The graduate student from South Africa, who was named the conference Player of the Year and who Maryland coach Missy Meharg calls the most creative goal scorer she’s ever coached, showed why. Luus, who also played tennis for three years at Maryland, calmly brought the ball to her feet and drove a backhand that hit the board at the back of the goal with a resounding thwack that echoed across the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex and sent Maryland to their third B1G Tournament championship game in as many years.
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