COLLEGE PARK, MD - In the strongest rivalry of college field hockey, the Terps and the Demon Deacons delighted a crowd of over 700 with one of the most memorable games in the recent years of at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park. The game served as a rematch of the NCAA and the ACC tournament championship games, with the Terps taking both matches. In this game, Maryland showed their talent and endurance to outlast Wake Forest with a second half push take a 2-0 start in the ACC and 10-0 start overall to hold on to the No. 1 ranking.

 

The Terps started strong with the initial passback when the ball was passed to Katie O’Donnell who streaked down the sideline and passed it off to Nicole Muracco. Muracco then escaped a double-team and got a shot off as soon as she entered the circle. The shot sailed past Wake Forest goalie Kaitlyn Ruhf to give Maryland its lead with less than a minute into the game. However, Wake woke up after the first minute and turned up their pressure to hold the Terps to only two shots after their goal. Wake held the ball in the Terps’ defensive end and made forced five shots. At the 29th minute, Wake Forest forward Hilary Moore scored a goal on a dive and flicked the ball over Maryland goalie Alicia Grater.

After the goal, Maryland dialed up their effort and forced the ball into Wake Forest’s defensive end. In the last 5 minutes of the first half, the Terps drew a penalty corner with Emma Thomas flicking the ball stopped by Ruhf. Then the Terps intercepted the clearing pass and pushed it back into Wake’s circle. The Terps would fire off four more shots at the goal with two saves and 1 block by Wake with Maryland furiously trying to lift or smash the ball in. In the end of the first half, the game was tied at 1-1.

In the second half, Maryland came up with the same intensity they showed in the last five minutes of the first half while the Deacons were showing signs of exhaustion. In the 41st minute, Emma Thomas fired a shot in the circle that was saved by Ruhf, but Megan Frazer picked up the rebound and passed it to Katie O’Donnell for a wide-open score. Six minutes later, the Terps drew another penalty corner and the play called for an Emma Thomas drag-flick. Thomas stepped up and placed the ball high right into the net for a 3-1 lead. The last goal Maryland scored came from Megan Frazer when she drove the ball along the right and escaped the goalie for another Terrapin score.

Maryland finished the game against Wake with a score of 4-1 on outstanding play and endurance against their talented opponent. Wake has now lost two games this season; the other loss came from North Carolina with the same 4-1 score. Wake Forest will play another game against American on Sunday while Maryland will play American on Tuesday,