No. 2 Maryland field hockey destroys Georgetown, 11-0, for largest margin of victory since 1999

No. 2 Maryland field hockey has been one of the most dominant teams in the country all season long, and it made sure that perception continued against Georgetown on Tuesday afternoon in College Park.

The Terps unleashed an onslaught of goals against the Hoyas, starting in the fourth minute of the game all the way until the last. Maryland never took its foot of the gas against its nearby foe en route to a dominant 11-0 win, perhaps adding style points and putting out a national statement of what it is capable of doing.

The win was the Terps’ largest margin of victory since a 13-1 win over the Hoyas on Sept. 18, 1999, and their first 10-plus goal game since Oct. 10, 2010 against Pacific.

With the bulldozing shutout victory, Maryland improves to 13-1 on the season.

Maryland and Georgetown used the first few minutes to move the ball, with the intention of getting the ball into the middle of the cage.

The Terps didn’t waste any time getting their offense clicking, as their persistence ignited an offensive explosion.

Fewer than four minutes into the first quarter, Maryland received its third consecutive penalty corner. Maryland graduate defender Riley Donnelly sent a forceful shot directly into the cage for the first goal of the afternoon. Donnelly’s goal gave Maryland an early 1-0 lead.

Maryland’s offense didn’t settle after its first score, though. The Terps defense forced a turnover, which resulted in another scoring opportunity.

Less than 20 seconds later, Maryland graduate midfielder Bibi Donraadt maneuvered her way down the left sideline before firing a goal into the cage to put Maryland up 2-0.

With fewer than seven minutes remaining in the opening quarter, Maryland received its fourth penalty corner. Maryland graduate midfielder Danielle Van Rootselaar set her feet and fired a missile into the cage for the Terps’ third goal of the quarter to give Maryland an early 3-0 lead.

A few minutes after Maryland’s third goal, it remained aggressive on the offensive end, and its tenacity proved that. The Terps were assessed a penalty stroke after a defensive penalty inside the circle. Maryland graduate defender Riley Donnelly used her eyes to move Georgetown goalie to her left, as she fired a strong shot into the right side of the cage. Donnelly’s second goal of the day gave Maryland a commanding 4-0 lead after the first 15 minutes of action.

The second quarter began with the Terps looking to continue their offensive domination over the Hoyas.

Just over four minutes into the second quarter, Maryland senior midfielder Belle Bressler used a subtle shoulder hesitation to fire a goal over the goalie’s right shoulder for the Terps’ fifth goal of the afternoon, giving them a 5-0 lead.

Almost immediately following Bressler’s goal, the senior midfielder sprinted down the left sideline with nifty stick skills, looking for another goal in what quickly became a rout in College Park.

Just one minute later, Bressler found sophomore midfielder Kylee Niswonger jolting towards the cage. Niswonger caught the pass in stride and sent a shot into the middle of the cage for another Maryland goal, putting the Terps up 6-0 heading into the halftime intermission.

Coming out of the locker room, the Terps kept their foot on the gas.

With less than three minutes expired into the third quarter, Maryland received yet another penalty corner — one of 14 the Terps had Tuesday afternoon.

Donnelly delivered a dazzling pass to senior forward Sam Zywna, who corralled the ball and sent a shot into an open area of the cage. Zywna’s first goal of the season gave Maryland an overwhelming 7-0 lead.

The Terps added two more goals in each of the third and fourth quarters, as Donnelly and Donraadt both secured hat tricks and senior defender Maura Verleg punctuated an 11-goal win for the Terps, one of their most dominant performances in recent memory.

Maryland returns home for a Sunday afternoon matchup with Rutgers at 4 p.m., the final matchup of its three-game homestand.

Three things to know

1. The Terps’ offense exploded to the tune of 11 goals. Maryland got out to a fast start with four goals in the first quarter. The Terps’ offense kept the onslaught going the rest of the way by recording seven goals and 22 shots in the final three quarters to collect their 13th victory of the season. Maryland recorded a season-high in goals with Donnelly and Donraadt scoring three, two coming on penalty strokes. Seven different Terps recorded goals and showed why many regard this club as one of the deepest in the country.

2. Maryland remained perfect at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex with two home games remaining on the schedule. The Terps moved to 8-0 on their home turf this season, with two victories coming against opponents ranked in the top 25 and an overall scoring margin of 41-6 at home. Additionally, Maryland extends its current winning streak to six games. With the Big Ten Tournament right around the corner, Maryland seems to be hitting its stride at the right time.

3. Maryland’s defense pitched its third shutout of the season. While the offense is certainly the headline in a game where the Terps racked up 11 goals, the defense did its part too, allowing zero goals for the third time this season. The combination of phenomenal defense leading to potent offense has the Terps playing great hockey and sitting as the No. 2 team in the country.