The No. 20 Ohio State Buckeyes took on the No. 2 Maryland Terrapins in Columbus on Thursday. Credit: Zachary Rilley | Photo Editor
In its return to the Big Ten Tournament, the No. 20 Ohio State field hockey team fell 5-2 Friday to No. 2 Maryland, led by Terrapins graduate defenseman Riley Donnelly’s two goals — including a score in the fourth quarter that won the game.
The Buckeyes’ season ends with a record of 11-8 and 3-6 in the Big Ten, including tournament play.
Head coach Jarred Martin gave the Terrapins credit after the game and said the Buckeyes played them very well.
“That’s a great team with a storied history,” Martin said. “They’re playing for Final Fours and national championships. Our team defense was strong today. There were some opportunities for a handful of our players. If you gave it to them again, they would probably find a way to bury it, put it in the goal.”
Sophomore midfielder Hallie Brost and senior forward Sarah Charley scored the two goals for the Buckeyes. Junior goalkeeper Abby Danson had eight saves on 14 shots faced.
Both teams managed three shots on goal in the first quarter, each of them also getting one penalty corner. Danson had two saves in the quarter, and Brost had a chance on goal that went just wide right.
Terrapins graduate midfielder Leah Crouse scored at 8:08 of the second quarter to give Maryland a lead it wouldn’t hold for long. The goal was started by a penalty corner and was knocked into the back of the cage out of the air after the initial shot was saved by Danson.
The Buckeyes answered in the second quarter with a goal by Brost at 1:14, which she worked up the field past multiple defenders and shot from just inside the right side of the circle.
With 1 second left in the second quarter, the Terrapins were awarded a penalty corner which they converted into another goal to take the lead right back. Donnelly scored the goal for Maryland and was assisted by senior midfielders Nathalie Fiechter and Emma Deberdine.
Charley’s goal came with 2:38 remaining in the third quarter assisted by sophomore midfielder Claudia Thomas and senior midfielder Emma Goldean who initiated the penalty corner that started the play.
Junior forward Makenna Webster had a chance to take the lead right after the goal, but her shot hit the post and bounced away to the left of the circle.
“Those type of things, that’s sport,” Martin said. “As good as you can play, there’s still a game element that’s unpredictable. That’s why it stings a little bit.
The Terrapins took the lead for good 4 minutes into the fourth quarter, scoring on a penalty corner from Donnelly’s second goal assisted by Fietcher and Deberdine again.
After a diving save by Terrapins senior goalkeeper Christina Calandra off a penalty corner, Martin opted to take Danson out with 3:12 left in the game and have an empty net to have an extra player offensively.
The Terrapins took advantage of the empty net when sophomore forward Hope Rose scored Maryland’s fourth goal and graduate midfielder Danielle van Rootselaar scored the fifth with just over a minute to go.
Despite the loss, Martin had good things to say about how the season went.
“It’s been an honor,” Martin said. “Everything we threw at this team, they responded. We really dug into what this team wanted to be.”
