COLLEGE PARK, MD – Maura Verleg was the overtime hero as No. 9 Maryland (4-2) defeated No. 17 Princeton, 4-3, Tuesday afternoon in College Park. 

Down a player in overtime due to a 5-minute penalty, the Terps did their best to keep the ball away from the Princeton (2-3) attackers. A spin move by Verleg around four defenders gave her a clear path to the goal where she sent a ball to Bibi Donraadt for the score, but it was reviewed and waved off. With the penalty expired, Maryland was back to even strength and looking for more offense.

That offense would finally come from Verleg as a penalty corner set the Terps up with a golden opportunity and she finally put the game away. After the initial shot on the corner, Emma DeBerdine sent the ball to Verleg, who buried the game-winner into the bottom corner of the cage.

After Princeton controlled possession for most of the opening period of the match, one mistake allowed the Terps to get on a break and ultimately earn a penalty corner. After a melee in front of the net, Bibi Donraadt was able to find the ball and put it in the wide-open net for the first goal of the game. The Terps didn't hold the lead for long as the Tigers scored just 35 seconds later to tie the game.  

Just 16 seconds into the second period, Margot Lawn came screaming down the right side with the ball in tow. A backhand pass perfectly bounced over the defender's sticks and found the stick of Emma DeBerdine, who put the shot right between the goalie's legs for the Terp's second goal of the game. Maryland once again couldn't hold the lead as Princeton responded with an equalizer just five minutes later. The Tigers would score again late in the third and for the second straight game Maryland entered the final frame down a goal. 

With less than five minutes remaining and the Terps still needing an equalizer, senior captain Brooke DeBerdine lined up a shot from outside the shooting circle and it whizzed past the goalie to knot the game at three apiece. 

Missy Meharg's Take
"Just outstanding. Princeton is always such a battle. They have fantastic field hockey players. I'm so honored to have two Terps as their head and assistant coach in Carla Tagliente and Dina Rizzo. I think we've gone to overtime the last four straight meetings and I feel like we've done pretty well. The team today was just so vigilant. We need to have more discipline in not having fouls. We were very aggressive in our minds and sometimes too aggressive. But to put ourselves in position of a player down in 7-aside for that many minutes and be able to play so disciplined - Brooke DeBerdine was an absolute professional today. She knew when to play slow, when to play fast and that was really what put us in position to win the game."


Familiar Faces

• Tigers' head coach Carla Tagliente is a former Terp legend. The former three-time All-American and NCAA champion (1999) graduated as the all-time goal scorer in program history.
• Tigers' assistant head coach Dina Rizzo is also a former Terp legend where she was a one-time All-American and member of the same 1999 championship team. Rizzo also was an assistant under Missy Meharg from 2010-14 when the team went to Final Fours, two ACC titles, a Big Ten title, and the 2010 and 2011 NCAA titles.
• Maryland forward Julianna Tornetta transferred from Princeton to Maryland this past offseason after starring for the Tigers during their run to the 2019 championship game.
• The last four meetings between Maryland and Princeton went to overtime, with the Terps winning all four.

Bibi Strikes Again  

• Donraadt scored her team-high fourth goal of the season in the 13th minute of the game. 
• The goal marks the senior's 30th career tally as a Terp. 

DeBerdine Duo

• Emma and Brooke DeBerdine both scored highlight-reel goals for the Terps with the latter's tying the game late in regulation. 
• The goal marked Emma's second of the season with Brooke getting her first.

Up Next

• The Terps will travel to Bloomington, Indiana where they'll take on the Indiana Hoosiers on Friday afternoon. The matchup will be televised on the Big Ten Network.