Dani Van Rootselaar doesn’t mince words, even in her fading Dutch accent.
“We should walk on the field like we’re one of the best teams in the country, if not the best,” the Maryland grad student midfielder said of her Terrapin field hockey team heading into the postseason. “We know that. We’re good and we just have to be confident and play that way.”
You don’t have to be an economic graduate of Brown, which Van Rootselaar is, to crunch the lofty Terrapin numbers this season: ranked second in the nation with a 16-2 record, 7-1 in the Big Ten and headed into this week’s conference tournament seeded second.
Maryland, which lost to Penn State (15-2, 7-1) two weeks ago to decide the Big Ten first-place tiebreaker, will open postseason play on Nov. 3 against host and No. 7 seed Ohio State at 2 p.m. EST. Should the Terrapins advance, they’ll get the winner of No. 3 Northwestern and No. 6 Rutgers on Nov. 4 at 4 p.m. A rematch with Penn State could loom in the finals and no matter what, Maryland will carry its big stick into the NCAA Tournament for the 32nd season under head coach Missy Meharg.
“We have great depth, we have great passion for the game and obviously we’re very good,” said Meharg, who has guided seven national championship squads and has 10 wins against ranked foes this fall. “We’ve got two goalkeepers in the top of the country and getting better. I don’t think we’ve reached our ceiling, which is exciting.”
And perhaps that’s scary for the rest of college field hockey just after Halloween. The Terrapins had a season full of treats before No. 5 Penn State pulled a 5-1 trick on them Oct. 21. The Terrapins don’t plan on turning into a pumpkin as they pursue their fourth Final Four appearance in six years.
“Those things happen and I’m glad it happened at that time rather than the postseason,” said senior midfielder and team captain Emma DeBerdine, who helped the team to the Final Four last year. “We can learn from that [loss].”
Meharg, who historically hasn’t really lost that often, agreed.
“What I’m finding with this team is that they’re very resilient,” the coach said. “We had a setback but many of these lessons of failure lead to an opportunity to be better. I applaud the team because they’ve certainly responded that way.”
The Terps bounced back with a 2-0 win against No. 5 Virginia on Oct. 26, and then earned a hard-fought 2-1 overtime win at No. 14 Connecticut on Oct. 30 to wrap up the regular season. Bibi Donraadt had the game-winner after Hope Rose, just back in the lineup, tied the game in the third quarter. Rose assisted the game-winner, and her return from a leg injury provides a big lift heading down the stretch. The sophomore leads the team with 12 goals despite missing five games.
Maryland ranks in the top two nationally (with North Carolina) in every major offensive category, including a 3.47 assists average that leads everyone and serves as a testament to the way Meharg has melded this group, including seven freshmen and two graduate transfers, together.
“We all knew it was going to be a challenge with nine new people,” said DeBerdine, a Lancaster, Pa., native. “It has been so exciting. Everyone has really fit in and bought into the culture of Maryland. The seniors, juniors and sophomores have really opened their arms and provided a great example how we treat each other and how we work on the field.”
DeBerdine, a “legacy” as her sister Brooke was a Terp, too, knows of whence she speaks. Meharg said she embodies the team’s coveted “culture,” a mindset that makes Maryland field hockey special and, well, really good.
“First and foremost, Emma DeBerdine is a senior and just has that engine, that unconditional sprinting in transition,” Meharg said. “Hope Rose is certainly that way, too, Leah Crouse, Maura Verleg, Rayne Wright. We’ve got a lot of women that just thrive on loving the game, working hard and pushing each other as hard as they can.”
The atmosphere Meharg has championed in the program regenerates itself. Veterans teach younger players, and the additions of grad transfers Crouse (Duke) and Van Rootselaar (Brown) have further enhanced the experience on the team and added to the chemistry. Homegrown grad players Donraadt and Riley Donnelly have done the same.
Speaking for those leaders, DeBerdine said this mix of experience and youth, and personalities who want to work to be the best, has paid off.
“The hard work is definitely something that has an impact on the team. I know I’ve always been like that,” DeBerdine said. “I’ve never been the most technical field hockey player. I have always had speed, and that has definitely impacted the way that I play. But I’ve always known I can work hard on the field, and I’ve seen how that dynamic works for this team.”
To the tune of 16 wins and counting and a feeling there’s still room for improvement among a hungry team.
“Our preseason here was more intense than anything I’ve ever experienced,” said Van Rootselaar, who came over from the Ivy League. “There are more hours you’re allowed to train and spend together, and also we try out new lineups every game so everyone gets to figure out the chemistry with each other. I think that we’ve grown so close it helps us perform.”
The Terrapins switch roommates every road trip to further enhance the team concept, one borne out in leading the nation in assists.
“We want to be a passing team, not a dribbling team,” Van Rootselaar added. “We want to play together instead of having one individual score all the goals. That’s what Maryland field hockey stands for. That’s what working for us.”
Maryland has four players with nine or more goals and, incredibly, eight players with four or more assists. The balance extends to goal, where senior Christina Calandra and sophomore Paige Kieft have each played more than 490 minutes and combine for a 1.38 goals against average, giving Meharg the ability to go with the “hot hand.”
Grad student Donnelly, junior Rayne Wright, and freshman Ericka Morris-Adams have been back-line standouts who have allowed Maryland to nearly triple the number of shots the Terrapins take compared to what opponents get.
“Everyone just loves being here every day,” Van Rootselaar said. “We all trust each other. I think when we play our best field hockey, there’s not a team in the country that can compete with us.”
See Also: A Salute To Coaches: Missy Meharg
Photo Credits: Mackenzie Miles/Maryland Athletics