Terps get big lead, then hold on for semifinal win

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The top-seeded Terrapin field hockey team had rallied from an early deficit to take a three-goal lead against No. 4 Princeton in the Final Four today and the road to the National Championship game seemed paved.

 

Yet when the Terps relaxed, the Tigers pounced, tying the match at 4-4 and forcing the Terps to fight for their spot in the finals. But behind forward Katie O'Donnell's nine points, the Terps outgunned Princeton 7-5 to earn a chance at a second straight national title on Sunday.

 

"We haven't been in that situation before, where we've given up a three-goal lead," coach Missy Meharg said. "So I commend the women for taking up the challenge and handling it with maturity."

 

The prolific offensive performances of both teams will go down in the record books. The 12 goals between the opponents made the match the highest scoring semifinal in NCAA Tournament history. The Tigers scored the most points of any team to ever lose in the Final Four.

 

And individually, O'Donnell put on a show, recording three goals and three assists to notch the most points of any player ever in the tournament semifinals, while also overtaking the ACC career assists record.

 

At first, though, the game didn't seem to be on a record-setting track.

The Tigers jumped to an early lead, converting their first penalty corner and their first shot of the game.

 

But the deficit served as a wakeup call for the Terps, who took control of possession from that point on. Back Emma Thomas scored two goals in six minutes off penalty corners to go ahead, and O'Donnell followed with two goals of her own, one in the first half and one to start the second.

 

With a 4-1 lead and a 12-4 shot advantage fewer than 90 seconds into the second half, the Terps seemed to have momentum firmly in hand.

 

Princeton immediately responded to O'Donnell's second score, however, converting another corner to pull back within two. And from there, they took a run of their own. midfielder Katie Reinprecht knockedtwo more shots in the cage off corner plays. Suddenly, the Terps faced a tie game with energy swinging in their opponents' favor.

 

"I think we settled a bit, and Princeton was not going to be embarrassed," Meharg said. "There was no way that team was going to get blown out."

 

Meharg called a timeout to refocus the Terps. And when the Terps returned, they took the tie score as a challenge, refusing to let their shot at a National Championship slip away.

 

"It's potentially your last half you could play," O'Donnell said. "You don't want to go out and play a poor last half. You want to go out and remember the season giving your all. You don't fall short because you didn't try hard."

 

Midfielder Megan Frazer slammed a hard shot into the backboard of the cage for the go-ahead goal with 13:12 remaining in the game, and the team stonewalled the Tigers after that, returning to their first half dominance and scored twice more to go up 7-4.