No. 4 Maryland field hockey preview: Terrapin Invitational

After finishing 1-1 in last weekend’s Big Ten/ACC Cup, Maryland field hockey dropped one spot to No. 4 in the National Field Hockey Coaches Association poll ahead of this weekend’s Terrapin Invitational. This year’s two-game weekend tournament will see the Terps face off against Miami (Ohio) on Friday at 5 p.m. and Yale on Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

Maryland (4-1) was upset by No. 20 Duke last Friday, 2-1, before beating No. 17 Boston College, 1-0, in its first overtime game of the season on Sunday. The two games were the first of five straight home games for head coach Missy Meharg and company.

Both of Maryland’s matchups will be available to stream on Big Ten Plus.

Miami (Ohio) Redhawks (3-1, 0-0 MAC)

2022: 14-8 (6-1 MAC)

After suffering a 2-0 loss to Indiana in its most recent game, Miami (Ohio) looks to get back on track against more Big Ten competition. The Redhawks, who lost in the first round of last year’s NCAA Tournament to eventual runner-up Northwestern, are led by 13th-year head coach Iñako Puzo. Like the Terps, Miami (Ohio) kicked off its season in California with road wins against Cal and UC Davis.

Maryland is 2-0 all-time vs Miami (Ohio), with wins in 2013 and 2015. Maryland’s 6-2 win in 2015 was the 500th of Meharg’s tenure.

Players to know

Carlie Servis, junior midfielder, No. 7 — Servis, who only had five points in 18 appearances last season, leads the Redhawks with two goals and six points through the team’s opening four games. Servis scored in each of the team’s opening two games and had two assists in the team’s win over SFU.

Isabelle Perese, senior goalkeeper, No. 28 — Perese has been integral in Miami (Ohio)’s strong start to the season. She’s started 88 of 89 games since her freshman year and her 1.00 goals allowed average is the lowest mark in the conference this season.

Strength

Goals allowed. Comparatively, the Redhawks have been one of the best teams in the MAC this season in a number of statistical categories. They have allowed just four goals on the season, so look for them to be reliant on their back line and Perese on Friday.

Weakness

Shooting percentage. As alluded to above, Miami (Ohio) has done well for itself statistically this season. However, the Redhawks have a low shooting percentage at just 17.9%. That’s much less efficient than Maryland’s 25.4% mark.

Yale Bulldogs (1-1, 0-0 Ivy League)

2022: 9-8 (3-4 Ivy League)

Second-year head coach Melissa Gonzalez will have her work cut out for against Maryland. The Terps have won 14 straight games against unranked competition, a streak that dates back to the 2020 season.

Yale will play American (2-2) on Friday before facing off against Maryland on Sunday.

Players to know

Nicole Gotthardt, junior midfielder/forward, No. 12 — So far this season, the Bulldogs’ attack has gone exclusively through Gotthardt. After having zero goals in the first 30 games of her career, Gotthardt has scored all of Yale’s goals this season. Look for Gonzalez to continue working the offense around Gotthardt.

Luanna Summer, senior goalkeeper, No. 0 — Through Yale’s first two games, Summer has anchored the Bulldogs. She’s started 36 games since 2021 and leads all Ivy League goalkeepers with 19 saves this season. She made 11 saves in Yale’s most recent game against Saint Joseph’s.

Strength

Saves. With Summer between the pipes, Yale has proven to be a tough team to score against. Including two defensive saves, Yale’s 21 saves on the season are by far the most in the Ivy League, with the second-closest team being at 14.

Weakness

Offensive variety. As mentioned above, the Bulldogs haven’t been able to find production on the attack outside of Gotthardt. At this time last year, three Yale players had logged a goal, a trend Yale will need to get back to against a stingy Terps defense.

Three things to watch

1. Can the Terps factor Hope Rose back in? After leading the Big Ten with five goals and 11 points in Maryland’s opening three games, Rose has been held without a point in the Terps’ last two games. With only three shot attempts in that span, watch for Meharg to try and incorporate Rose more into the gameplan.

2. What goalkeeper rotation does Meharg use? A question similar to this was posed in last week’s Big Ten/ACC Cup preview as well, but it’s worth revisiting. Against tougher competition, Meharg has opted to play junior Paige Kieft, but freshman Alyssa Klebasko recorded a shutout against Boston College. Meharg said she “didn’t know” what the rotation between the two goalkeepers would be going forward, so that’s something to look out for.

3. How do the Terps fare after a week in the heat? This weekend’s matchups succeed a scorchingly hot week in College Park, and although it looks to be cooling off by the weekend, the Terrapin Invitational will tell what effect the week’s temperatures had on the Terps.