Missed the game? Listen to a replay here.
by Brian Kapur
WASHINGTON- Just two days after a big win against ACC rival No.3 Wake Forest, the No.1 Terrapin field hockey faced a potential let down game against the feisty American Eagles.
But the Terps avoided any sort of let down and gutted out a gritty 3-0 win.
"We came out really hard today and that's something we were really pleased with," senior back Emma Thomas said.
The Terps started off quickly as Katie O'Donnell stole the ball away inside American's 25, then fired it into the goal to put the Terps up 1-0.
American's defense, who statistically the best the Terps had faced, clamped down and kept the score at 1-0 at halftime.
The Terps knew American's defense was tough after the Eagles shut down the Demon Decons' offense 1-0 loss just days earlier.
"This was a really respectable team that we just played, senior goalkeeper Alicia Grater said. "They lost to Wake Forest 1-0, that speaks volumes. They were a really strong team that wanted to come after us."
But in the second half the Terps' poise and ability to play at a high level of hockey for 70 minutes got the better of American.
Thomas extended the Terps lead to 2-0 off a penalty stroke.
The Terps used great field position all game to hinder the Eagles offense. But late in the second half the Eagles took two of their five penalty corners, and had an open shot on goal on one of the attempts. But Grater made a terrific save to keep the Eagles off the board.
"Our corner defense was really good," Grater said. "To give up five corners to a team where corners are their strength and for me to make just one save it speaks a lot for the four people who are also(defending the corner)."
Thomas later iced the game with a penalty corner goal with an assist from senior Alexis Pappas.
