Maryland brings 6-game win streak to Princeton

Of the teams the Tigers have played in five or more contests, field hockey (3-8 overall, 2-1 Ivy League) has compiled losing records against only five. One of those overall series belongs to No. 2 Maryland (11-2, 4-1 Big Ten), which has bested Princeton in 18 out of the team's 25 contests. This Wednesday evening, the Tigers will play game three of their six-game homestand against the mighty Terrapins.

The Orange and Black’s last win over its College Park rivals came during the semifinals of the NCAA tournament, which the Ivy League-champion Tigers proceeded to win.

Maryland’s winning streak stretches back six games. Four of those defeated opponents were ranked inside the National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s Top 20 poll, with Big Ten rival Penn State ranking fourth at the time of the contest. Conversely, Princeton’s losing streak extended to four last week following two consecutive double-overtime losses to Syracuse and Delaware.

Despite the excellent conditioning of its players, Princeton has dropped all three of its overtime contests. What's more, five of the eight losses suffered by head coach Kristen Holmes-Winn’s side have come by only one goal.

Senior midfielder Sydney Kirby and junior striker Maddie Copeland have been the Tigers’ best offensive threats thus far. Kirby, one of Princeton’s captains, has tallied five goals and an assist while starting in all 11 contests. Copeland, with a team-best shot percentage of 37.5 percent, has netted six goals on 16 attempts.

Overall, the Princeton offense has seen a decline in output this season. By the end of their league championship campaign last season, the Tigers had managed an average of 3.21 goals per game. In 2014, this same side has only averaged 2.00 goals per outing. The graduation of Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year Michelle Cesan ’14 certainly contributed to this decrease, which also has its roots in the relative youth of this squad.

Maryland’s 3.62 points per game leads the Big Ten this season. Two Terrapins have tallied double-digit assists thus far: junior midfielder Anna Dessoye has recorded 11 while senior forward Katie Gerzabekhas picked up 13.

This No. 2-ranked side has far outpaced opponents in earning penalty corners. Ninety-seven have come for the Terrapins with only 58 awarded to their challengers. Additionally, they managed to score a league-high 1.31 goals per game off those attempts.

Following this mid-week matchup, Princeton will host Ivy League rivals Brown and Harvard on the next consecutive weekends. A conference title is still in the Tigers’ reach, withonly one conference loss counting against them.

The Ivy League Digital Network will broadcast the 6 p.m. showdown with Maryland. All of Princeton’s remaining games have live feeds scheduled on that same service.