DURHAM, N.C. - Out on the turf at Jack Katz stadium in Durham, N.C., Katie O'Donnell cradled the ACC championship trophy like a proud toddler holding a newborn sibling. The sophomore forward's smile betrayed equal parts bewilderment and bliss.
On her stick, resting on the sideline, were scrawled these prescient words: "We're not going home without a championship."
Sure enough, the Terrapin field hockey team captured its first league crown since 2005. The No. 1 Terps (18-2) outlasted No. 2 Wake Forest 4-3 in the final yesterday at Duke.
O'Donnell, forward Nicole Muracco and back Brianna Davies were named to the All-Tournament team. Back Susie Rowe was MVP of the tournament, becoming the fifth two-time recipient of the award.
But while her younger teammates reveled in their first ACC title, the senior was glad to get back a trophy she hasn't held since her freshman year.
"It's been a long time for us without playing in championships, so for me, it feels like a very long time since we played this type of pressure, tournament hockey," Rowe said. "We didn't fulfill expectations last year. This year, we just know how badly we want it, and then how horrible it feels to lose."
Twice, the Terps dodged a potential early exit, as the team trailed at halftime against Wake Forest and in the semifinals against No. 12 Virginia. The Terps were not dominant, but they were resilient.
It helped that the Terps overcame deficits against both teams during the regular season. Expecting victory, they remained composed throughout the competition.
"We're definitely a second-half team," goalie Alicia Grater said. "Coming out at halftime and when we're in that huddle, everybody's giving positive feedback, and there's just an absolute belief that comes from the players. This is a team that wants to win and is going to win."
After a quick goal from reserve midfielder Danielle Keeley, the Terps struggled to clear the ball from their defense zone. Wake Forest worked a weary backline for a 2-1 advantage at the half.
But coach Missy Meharg made the necessary adjustments during the break, using forwards on outlets and two players on the ball. In the second period, the Terps successfully built the attack out of the backfield.
The Terps took a 4-3 lead with less than three minutes to play when O'Donnell whipped a pass into the circle that found an open Muracco. The junior stepped in front of a defender and put a touch on the ball, deflecting it high and right, past Wake Forest goalie Crystal Duffield.
"There was a clear lane - it was like parting seas straight to Nicole," O'Donnell said. "I knew that was the ball to give. That was the best ball, the best option. I have trust in her that she's gonna finish the ball, she's our finisher."
With 2:43 left in the game, the Terps just had to hold on, something they struggled to do earlier in the game.
Right away, Wake Forest was on the attack, blasting a shot from the top of the circle that went wide right of Grater. The Terp goalie, who saved six shots on the day, sprawled to her right to halt a rebound attempt.
"That ball was just inches from the goal line," Grater said. "I don't even know how it got through, and the girl got a piece of it. It's just kind of do or die. You say, 'We're not going home losers,' and you mean it. You deal with the situation as it is. It's just instincts really."
When the final whistle blew, the Terps celebrated the long-awaited moment. Their mettle was tested throughout the weekend, but through it all, they never panicked.
"It's a character; it's an attitude," Meharg said. "We've been working on trying to create that mental edge. We have some kind of in-house ways to do it, and we're finding a way to pull out these games."
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