Vassalotti might have edge in net for field hockey

Through the Terrapins field hockey team's first 11 games this season, goalkeepers Melissa Vassalotti and Natalie Hunter stood in the exact same place in their competition for the starting job: dead even.

But in Game 12, an overtime victory over No. 7 Duke on Saturday, one may have finally gained the upper hand.

After switching off the two in net each game through August and September, coach Missy Meharg gave Vassalotti her second consecutive start in the No. 3 Terps' matchup with the Blue Devils, perhaps offering a clue to the long-term frontrunner for the position.

"If it's not broken, why try to do something drastic?" Meharg said. "I think both of them are ready to be in the cage, but [Vassalotti's] got the experience and she's been playing very well, and the Duke game was definitely an example of that."

Vassalotti rewarded her coach's confidence with her best performance of the season, recording seven saves in a 2-1 Terps victory. That mark set a single-game high for Terps goalies this season, and Vassalotti was named ACC Player of the Week yesterday for her efforts.

"Going into the game, I was just very comfortable, relaxed and confident in my skills, and that allowed me to play well," Vassalotti said. "I'm always going to come out ready to go."

Both goalkeepers saw mixed results during the early part of the season, but Vassalotti's numbers have been the more impressive between the two keepers. She has given up five more goals than Hunter, but she's also started seven games to Hunter's five. Vassalotti has a 68.4 save percentage compared to Hunter's mark of 58.8.

Vassalotti's success in ACC play was also likely a factor in Meharg's decision to keep her as the starter against the Blue Devils. Vassalotti has started each of the Terps' four ACC contests this season — all wins — allowing just seven goals while recording 17 saves in that stretch.

"When you come out on top against a team like Virginia, you play the goalie that won the game," Meharg said. "We just felt with momentum, it really didn't make sense to change that out. She's played in the past, and she's good to go."

The decision is a tough one for Hunter, a sophomore who played well at times in the early part of the season, holding opponents to one goal or fewer three times, including a shutout of Temple on Aug. 28. But both goalies have made clear throughout the year they are in full support of one another, regardless of who ends up playing and who is relegated to the sidelines.

"As a [Division-I] athlete, of course you want to play," Hunter said. "I just know that I trust the coaches' decision and believe in what they decide. They're going to do what's best for the team, and if they believe that Melissa is the best starter, then I trust their decision."

Vassalotti is the more experienced of the two goalkeepers, having started in both the Terps' ACC and national championship victories last season. But even with her steadying veteran presence and recent stellar play, Meharg gave no indication as to whether she'd be in line for a third straight start in the Terps' Friday showdown with No. 1 Old Dominion.

"It's still up in the air," Meharg said. "We'll see where we go with it as we get closer to Friday."

vitale@umdbk.com