No. 1 Maryland stops No. 8 Princeton short of 2nd-straight NCAA title

The No. 8 field hockey team staged an impressive comeback against No. 9 Penn State in the first round of the NCAA tournament Saturday but fell to top-ranked Maryland in the quarterfinals the next day, failing to defend its 2012 national title.

Princeton (14-5 overall, 7-0 Ivy League) received an automatic bid to the tournament after sweeping the Ivy League but drew Penn State(13-6, 5-1 Big Ten), which had handed the Tigers a 4-3 loss earlier in the season, and Maryland (22-1, 6-0 ACC), the host and favorite to win the tournament.

"We got put in a really tough bracket, and we gave it our all," senior back Amanda Bird said. "[Sunday's] game against Maryland was a really hard-fought game of high intensity that felt like the caliber of a national championship game."

The Tigers dominated possession during Saturday’s first round matchup against Penn State, but the score remained close throughout the competition, keeping players, coaches and fans alike on their toes. To add to the uncertainty, senior midfielder and 2012 Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year Julia Reinprecht went down with an injury in the first quarter of play, forcing Princeton to make some readjustments. When the Tigers pulled out the win, it was due to their depth and versatility.

Senior midfielder Michelle Cesan and junior midfielder Sydney Kirby stepped up their game in the center midfield spots, helping the team to hold its shape and stay organized. The duo forced the Nittany Lions to commit many turnovers and continuously frustrated their attackers.

In the first four minutes, freshman midfielder/striker Cat Caro drew the goalie out of the cage, attracted the defense’s attention and passed the ball quickly to junior striker Allison Evans. Evans sent the ball into the back of the net to put the Tigers ahead 1-0. Five minutes later, Penn State evened the score with a successful penalty corner deflection. At the midpoint of the first half, the Nittany Lions earned their only lead of the game with a hard shot from five yards out. Answering back to tie the game at two heading into halftime, Evans sent a pass from the top of the circle to sophomore striker Maddie Copeland, who was waiting near the post and found the net.

Less than two minutes into the second half, it became obvious that the Tigers were recharged. Cesan served the ball on a penalty corner to freshman back Annabeth Donovan, who stopped it for Bird to come and finish. Princeton had set the tone and regained the lead for the first time since 3:53 into the game. The Tigers soon pulled ahead 4-2, as Copeland assisted Caro’s hard shot from the top right part of the circle. Penn State converted another penalty corner to bring the game back within one goal.

Less than two minutes later, Bird tallied her second goal of the game unassisted when her shot deflected off of a Nittany Lion defender and into the goal. With just a few minutes left on the clock, Penn State scored once more to put the game at 5-4. A subsequent shot on goal got past sophomore goalie Anya Gersoff, but it hit the post and deflected out, preventing the game from going into overtime. Gersoff finished the game with four saves, and the Tigers advanced to the second round on Sunday afternoon.

In Sunday’s second-round competition against Maryland, Princeton’s sustained efforts were just not enough to overcome the top seed and tournament host. Opening the scoring in the second minute of play, Kirby converted on a penalty corner with an assist by sophomore midfielder/back Teresa Benvenuti to put the Tigers ahead for the moment.

Three minutes later, the Terps evened the score 1-1 with a deflection off of a corner. Neither team would score again for almost 30 minutes. With 33 seconds remaining in the first half, Evans sent in a hard shot from out near the edge of the circle to put the Tigers back in the lead at 2-1. The lead was short-lived, however - just before the horn sounded to end the half, Maryland sent in a hard shot from five yards out to tie the game at 2-2.

A quick shot from the right post at the start of the second half gave Maryland the advantage 3-2. Close to 32 minutes of the game remained, but the score would not change despite repeated shot attempts from both teams. At the end of the game, the Terps had a 14-9 edge in shots, including 7-3 for shots on goal. Gersoff recorded four more saves, finishing the weekend with eight total.

Sunday’s loss marks the end of the Tigers' 2013 season, which saw them fall short of a second consecutive NCAA title.

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"I think everyone played amazingly, and it's just unfortunate how the final score ended up," Benvenuti said. "We, without a doubt, gave Maryland their hardest game of the season, and we can hold our heads high for that"