Field hockey hitting offensive stride lately

Even before the 2011 season began, Terrapins field hockey coach Missy Meharg figured it would take time for a new-look offense to jell. A 4-0 loss to Old Dominion on Sept. 2, the Terps' first blanking in nearly four years, only showed how far the Terps were from the attacking force they had been in seasons past.

With a half-dozen goals from five different players in a 6-2 victory over Princeton on Tuesday night, though, the Terps seem to be all but on their way back to their old offensive glory.

Without the benefit of a true go-to star on offense, the No. 3 Terps have been forced to take an offense-by-committee approach, rotating players in and out of the lineup and spreading the goal-scoring opportunities all over the field. It took some time for the offense to click, but now that they're comfortable on the field, the Terps are seeing continued improvement on their attack.

"I'm impressed with the way the women are just stepping out and staying present. They're really eager to play hockey, and a good brand of hockey," Meharg said after Tuesday's game. "This is still a very, very new team in so many ways, and I think they're doing very well."

After totaling more than four scores just once in the team's first five contests, the Terps (9-1) have scored at least four goals in each of their past five, averaging five goals per game in that stretch. The half-dozen they scored against the Tigers on Tuesday were the most Princeton had allowed all season.

"Generally, I think they prepare pretty well, much better than they did a month ago," Meharg said. "They really struggled with that, and they've evolved comfortably."

It's also been a balanced effort for the Terps so far this season. Of the 15 players who have played in all 10 of the team's games, eight have scored goals. The team's youth has made an impact in the scoring column, as well: Of the Terps' 39 goals this season, 13 have been scored by freshmen.

"One of the things we work on is just goal-shooting and making sure the ball ends up in the back of the net," midfielder Jemma Buckley said. "It's just the end result of good teamwork."

One area of improvement that has helped the Terps' offense grow has been their increased success on penalty corners. The Terps struggled mightily on corners in the Terrapin Invitational tournament earlier this month, amassing 29 penalty-corner chances in two games and scoring on just five.

There has been a noticeable improvement in the team's past four contests, however. The Terps have scored nine goals on 33 penalty-corner attempts since the Terrapin Invitational, improving their shooting percentage on those chances by 10 percent in that span.

"Our ratio has been a little bit lower than it has been in the past at this time of the year, so I'm pleased with that," Meharg said. "We've been practicing our set pieces and corners much better with more discipline."

The Terps' attack could see continued success when they host Virginia on Friday. The Cavaliers allow an ACC-worst 3.4 goals per game, so the Terps will likely get plenty of opportunities to refine their newfound offensive prowess.

"When you compete like that and you're a good athlete and you just are in that flow, it's just great and the game is beautiful," Meharg said. "All and all, we're very pleased."

vitale@umdbk.com