With time to kill before ACC Tournament, field hockey experiments

For the first 67 minutes of Wednesday night's contest against Drexel, the Terrapins field hockey team's last line of defense was, as expected, goalkeeper Melissa Vassalotti. But it was in those final three minutes when things got very unusual.

Out went Vassalotti, and in came a little-used redshirt sophomore defender clad in a red T-shirt with a white No. 6 seemingly fashioned out of medical tape. Wearing no protection other than a goalie mask, Christine Knauss jogged onto the field at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex as the Terps' official goalkeeper.

With postseason play looming for the Terps, the unorthodox switch did hold a strategic purpose. Holding a four-goal lead as the end of regulation neared, the team realized it had an opportunity to practice a desperation offensive set that could become necessary when their ACC Championship begins a week from today.

And if coach Missy Meharg didn't like what she saw then, the Terps should get another shot at it Sunday against a struggling Rutgers team.

"We kind of really changed things up and played a lot of players in different formations," Meharg said after Wednesday's game. "That's what we're after; setting the fire and getting out there. … But that concept can backfire on you when you practice it in a game."

While Meharg understands it might be risky to deploy techniques and strategies that haven't been previously practiced during games, the Terps (14-3) didn't shy away from the idea Wednesday night.

Adding an extra defender to the game would allow the Terps to move an extra player into the attacking zone in hopes of scoring a potential game-tying goal, something that could prove vital in the postseason.

The Terps will likely use their matchup with the Scarlet Knights (5-11), perhaps the team's weakest opponent this season, in a similar fashion. Sitting six games below .500, Rutgers is the ideal late-season opponent for the Terps, giving the team a chance to get in a final tune-up before postseason play begins for the Terps a week from today.

"We're just trying to work on the consistency," Vassalotti said. "From the forwards to midfield to defense to goalkeeping, we just keep working on that consistency."

The Terps will also continue to work extensively on their on-field communication, a facet the team struggled with both offensively and defensively in a 2-1 loss to No. 2 North Carolina this past weekend.

The effects of the team's newfound focus on communication were noticeable in their four-goal victory over the Dragons on Wednesday, as Vassalotti could be heard shouting defensive signals from the cage throughout the game. The efforts of their goalkeeper led to a mostly dominant defensive performance from the Terps, who held Drexel scoreless for the game's first 55 minutes.

"After UNC, we realized [communicating] is something that comes out of trust," forward Katie Gerzabek said. "We just need to keep up the teamwork and trust within each other and keep communicating. … [Wednesday,] we showed how we just keep improving; we came out strong and finished the whole game strong."

Even with their ACC tournament position already solidified, Sunday's late-season nonconference matchup with the Scarlet Knights will still be an important one. Closing the season against Rutgers will give the Terps some valuable preparation time and launch them into the upcoming postseason on what should be a largely positive note.

"Momentum is probably the one thing we're looking to build," midfielder Jemma Buckley said. "It's another game for us to grow. It's our last game before ACC's, so we're looking to put on a good performance."

vitale@umdbk.com