Field Hockey on four game losing streak after falling to the University of Maryland

The University of Richmond field hockey team fell 3-0 against No. 6 University of Maryland Oct. 27. 

The Spiders had a strong start with sophomore forward Valen Luna Paratore attempting a goal just under a minute into the first period. 

The Terrapins made their own shot attempt in the fourth minute of play, but redshirt junior goalkeeper Kristen Rake saved the goal. They made another attempt to score just two minutes later, but Rake saved the ball again. 

UMD continued its offensive push with another shot attempt in the eighth minute of play, but it went wide. Seconds later, the Terrapins drew the first penalty corner of the game, but they were unable to capitalize on the opportunity. 

Still pushing to put points on the board, UMD made another goal attempt in the 11th minute of play, but the ball flew high over the cage.  

The Terrapins drew another penalty corner moments later. They battled past the Spider defenders and scored, taking a 1-0 lead. 

The second period continued to favor the Terrapins. They had two shot attempts within a minute of each other in the 20th minute of the game, but neither hit its mark. 

Two minutes later, they made another attempt, but Rake continued to successfully defend. 

UR had possession of the ball for a decent portion of the period but was unable to push past UMD’s strong defense. 

The 27th minute of the game saw a lot of action with two shot attempts and a penalty corner for the Terrapins. They were able to score from the corner, expanding their lead to 2-0. 

The third period saw little action, with neither team able to take advantage of the other.

“[UMD] had an amazing defense, and it was hard to generate anything,” Rake said after the game. 

The Terrapins had two shot attempts in the 33rd minute of play, but both went wide. 

Nine minutes later, the Terrapins had another unsuccessful attempt at a goal. They had another attempt with just over a minute left in the period, but it went wide. 

The Spiders held off UMD for five minutes in the fourth period until the Terrapins made another goal attempt. They had an opportunity to score again with a penalty corner in the 56th minute, but it fell short. 

Seconds later, the Terrapins had made three shots, with the third sliding past Rake and into the net. 

The Spiders battled through the final minutes of play looking for a goal, but were unable to put any points on the board. 

This loss puts the Spiders on a four-game losing streak with only one game left in the regular season. They have only accumulated one goal across their last four games, but have shown strong defensive strategies. 

“We’ve been working hard all week on our defense,” junior midfielder Jess McMeeking said. “I think we did really, really well to execute that and only allow three goals.”

The Spiders plan to continue working through the week in preparation for their next game. 

“In our post-game talk, we were talking about how we can still knock it up a level,” first-year midfielder Grace Wiggins said. “It’s just one last game so we need to give it our everything.”

UR will be playing at Virginia Commonwealth University, a fellow Atlantic 10 team and cross-town rival, at 3 p.m. Nov. 1. 

The Rams have had a successful season with an 11-5 overall record. They have a 4-2 conference record, which is the same as the Spiders. Both teams have fallen to the University of Massachusetts and Saint Joseph’s University. The two schools have produced similar game results all season. 

Contact lifestyle editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu.