Rematch vs. Princeton a reminder of field hockey's lone 2010 defeat

Just more than a year ago, the then-No. 2 Terrapins field hockey team traveled to Princeton, N.J., and suffered its first and only defeat of the 2010 season, a 4-2 loss to the Tigers.

In retrospect, that might have been exactly what it needed. The Terps reeled off 15 straight victories thereafter en route to a national title, their seventh in program history.

Tonight, however, when the No. 3 Terps reunite with Princeton at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex, they'll be looking for motivation in triumph rather than defeat.

"It's more than a competition. There's always that opportunity to knock off somebody who, in a sense, knocked you off," coach Missy Meharg said of the Tigers (3-4). "For the players who are coming back and playing from last year, I'm sure it will be a nice opportunity to see them again."

The Terps (8-1) entered last season's game against Princeton sitting atop the field hockey landscape, undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country. But the team came out sluggish in the contest, falling behind early and ultimately coming up short in its comeback try.

The defeat was a lesson for the Terps, Meharg said, offering a low moment that could galvanize and motivate them to end their season on an equal high.

"It really kicked us in gear," Meharg said. "We thought we were a better team, and we were not on that night. It was a wake-up call to the realities of: If you don't put yourself out there every second of every match, this is what can happen."

"We were bummed out, but I think it actually lit the fire and put more urgency in our play after that," defender Ali McEvoy said. "Up till then, we hadn't lost. After that game, that feeling — we never wanted to feel [it] again."

Partly at issue for the team last season was the Tigers' ability to force the Terps into one-on-one situations. The Tigers' defense isolated former Terps star forward Katie O'Donnell throughout the game, Meharg said, forcing her to press the ball on offense and taking the Terps out of their team offense.

But on a 2011 team devoid of a pure go-to player on offense, Meharg said she has been impressed with the Terps' ability to play as a unit on the field.

"It's just a group of people that just really loves to play together, which is very comforting," Meharg said. "The key is that everybody plays."

Even as the Terps found motivation in their lone loss last year, the defeat still left the Terps with a bitter taste. Tonight, McEvoy said, the Terps will be looking to ignite another late-season run in a different way.

"We don't want it to happen again," she said. "We want to go out there and prove to them that we're the better team and that we're not going to lose to them like we did last year."

vitale@umdbk.com