Maryland - Ohio State field hockey: How to watch, preview, streaming and more

WHO: Ohio State Buckeyes @ Maryland Terrapins

WHAT: Field hockey B1G Conference game

WHERE: Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex, College Park, MD

WHEN: Friday, October 3, 2014 at 3:30 pm

WATCH: BTN

STREAM: BTN Plus (BTN2GO.COM)

It's B1G time excitement weekend in College Park and it all gets started at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex at 3:30 Friday afternoon when the Maryland field hockey team hosts the Ohio State Buckeyes in their first home Big Ten conference game. We all know there's another Buckeyes squad coming to Maryland this weekend but only those who attend the field hockey game can say they saw the first ever Terrapins versus Buckeyes Big Ten contest.

Buckeyes on the turf

2013

After finishing 18-5, winning the Big Ten championship and reaching the 2010 NCAA Tournament semifinals where they lost to 3-1 to Maryland, the Buckeyes program has been experiencing a downturn. They finished 12-9 in 2011, 10-9 in 2012, and 6-13 in 2013. Ohio State finished last in the B1G after going  winless in conference play.

2014

Offensively, the 2014 season has been something of addition by subtraction for Ohio State. While the Buckeyes return their leading scorer from 2013, scorers two through four have graduated and yet OSU has improved their scoring by more than a goal per game. On the other hand, with a freshman in goal, the Buckeyes are no better defensively and are conceding an average of three goals per game. Thus, despite the improvement in one facet of the game, because they've played a quality schedule and haven't improved defensively, they have opened the season 3-6 overall and 0-2 in conference play.

Players to watch

Maddy Humphrey, #23, freshman, forward/midfielder. Humphrey is perhaps the primary reason for Ohio State's improved offense. In her first nine collegiate games she has shown herself to be that rare player who scores and assists with equal efficiency. She leads the Buckeyes in goals (7) and points (21) and her seven assists are second best on the team. Like the Terps' Moira Putsch, Humphey has twice won the Big Ten Freshman of the Week award.

Peanut Johnson, #3, junior, forward. Johnson led Ohio State in scoring in 2013 with 22 points on 10 goals and 2 assists. She was named second team all conference. With Humphrey's emergence, Johnson has turned into more of a facilitator than a scorer with nine assists and four goals.

Kaitlyn Wagner, #13, senior, midfielder. Wager is the third principal scoring threat for the Buckeyes. She is second on the team with six goals. Together, this trio accounts for 65 percent of Ohio State's goals.

This game shapes up as a contest between two teams headed in opposite directions. After dropping their conference opener at Northwestern, Maryland has won two straight defeating Michigan and Michigan State. Ohio State has lost their last two. The first came on the road at Louisville and they followed that by losing at home to Penn State. The Buckeyes have yet to win on the road this season.

History

In addition to the aforementioned semi final, the Terps and the Buckeyes have met six other times. Maryland has never lost to Ohio State and will look to run their record to a perfect 8-0 on Friday afternoon. The teams last met in College Park in 2012 when the Terrapins picked up a dominating 5-0 win.