Maryland will past No. 6 Virginia in penalty shootout for 3-2 win
In the first match of the Terrapin Invitational, Maryland took down No. 6 Virginia (4-1) in penalty shootouts for a 3-2 win.
The fourth-ranked Terps (4-1) needed double overtime and more to come out on top against their former ACC rivals for their first top-10 win of the season.
“I knew we were going to have to be as athletic, and as lucky I have to say,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “I think for Maryland to come back from behind twice just showed tremendous amount of grit.”
Defense was the name of the game as neither team could get on the board in the first half. Maryland had six shots, with three being on goal, but could not find the net.
The Cavaliers only had a single shot attempt in the first half as they found most of their offensive possessions snuffed by interceptions and deflections.
Early in the second half, Virginia’s Amber Ezechiels broke the standstill when she recovered her own deflection and scored a backhand slap to give them a 1-0 lead.
Midway through the third, the Terps tied the game when midfielder Kyler Greenwalt snuck the ball past Cavaliers’ goalkeeper right into the cage. The junior scored on a tight pass from senior defender Kelee Lepage.
Virginia regained the lead with a little over two minutes left in the third after a penalty shot junior Rachel Robinson who ripped the penalty right past Maryland’s goalkeeper into the bottom of the net.
Despite trailing, the Terps never lost composure and managed to tie the game at the start of the period.
Freshman Emma Deberdine gathered the ball out of a crowd down in the circle and fired it into the net. Neither team scored for the remainder of the period, sending the game into overtime tied 2-2.
Both teams played two tough overtime periods but neither could find a single goal, resulting in a penalty shootout which Maryland won in six rounds, 4-3.
Terps goalkeeper Noelle Frost played the entirety of the 80-minute game and tied her career-high with six saves. Three of her saves came in the penalty shootout -- the last one being the game-winning save.
“I am going to save this ball. We are not doing this again, it’s done,” Frost said she was telling herself before the last save. “It’s just mental -- mind over matter. I don’t care what’s happening, I’m saving this ball.”
Next for Maryland in the Terrapin Invitational is James Madison (2-3), whom they will face on Sunday at noon at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex.