The Terps continued their hot start to the season with a convincing win.
No. 3 Maryland field hockey left nothing up to chance in a 6-0 win at UC Davis on Monday, the final match of its three-game West Coast trip.
Up five goals at the half, the Terps, now 3-0, were able to ride their bench in the final 30 minutes and cruise to a dominant victory.
Just over a minute into the game, Maryland took control offensively through freshman Maci Bradford. Bradford, who entered the game with two assists on the season, scored her second career goal by scoring on a second chance opportunity.
Four minutes later, Maryland’s Hope Rose added to the lead with her first of two goals. The two-time All-Big Ten selection weaved through the Aggies’ defense and fired a shot just inside the left post to extend her team-high in goals scored (5).
Popper followed up Rose near the end of the first quarter by scoring on an impressive backhanded shot from far range. After scoring nine goals last season at Princeton, the graduate transfer has scored a goal in each of the Terps’ opening three games.
The Terps added two more goals by halftime, starting with Margot Lawn’s second of the season. The fifth-year Lawn scored easily after bringing in a backhanded, no-look pass from senior Anna Castaldo halfway through the second quarter.
Later in the frame, Rose logged her fifth goal of the season — the most of any player in the Big Ten. Coming down the left side, Rose received a pass from Hannah Boss, stumbled while trying to collect her run, and launched a precision shot to the far right post while sliding to the ground.
With a comfortable lead, Maryland relied on its reserves in the second half. The Terps’ bench went wild two minutes into the third quarter when freshman Maddie Vasilios recorded her first career point, showing good stick control for Maryland’s sixth and final goal of the game.
Defensively, freshman goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko continued to play well in reserve. After appearing in each of Maryland’s first two games, Klebasko again relieved junior Paige Kieft for the entirety of the second half, making three saves, including a nice one to her left at full extension.
With its California road trip complete, Maryland’s next two games will be in College Park for the Big Ten/ACC Cup, first on Friday against Duke and then Sunday against Boston College.
Three things to know
1. Foot on the gas early. Maryland’s three-goal first quarter was the first time it scored at least three goals in a first quarter since it did so in an 11-0 win over Georgetown on Oct. 11 of last year.
2. A perfect start. As was the case in its first two wins this season at Stanford and Cal, Maryland remained undefeated versus UC Davis all-time (3-0) with the win Monday and finished its three-game season-opening road stint with a still-perfect record on the season.
3. A struggling opponent. UC Davis moved to 0-3 on the season, with each loss coming against talented competition. Before losing to No. 3 Maryland, the Aggies lost 2-0 to No. 16 Rutgers on Friday and dropped a 2-1 game against Miami (Ohio), last year’s No. 24-ranked team, on Saturday.