Maryland edges past North Carolina in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Competition I
Maryland exhibited a fantastic show, emerging victorious over North Carolina in the finals of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I competition and clinching their overall eighth national title and fifth in the last seven years.
Maryland Terrapins scored three goals against the two of their competitors, earning the victorious goal in the overtime period. The nail-biting game was played at the Trager Hockey Stadium, in the University of Louisville, Kentucky.
Maryland Head Coach, Missy Meharg, was quite excited after earning the eighth title in the national championship.
She observed, “Can't say enough what an amazing team North Carolina (23-2) is and they have been all year. They were so far above us in the first half and at halftime, we just spoke about competing and playing with intangibles. We couldn't be more proud
of the Maryland team”.
En route to defending its title, Maryland rallied past the top four squads, including Syracuse, Old Dominion and North Carolina.
Both the teams, Maryland and North Carolina, began the game at a frantic pace, making penetrations against each other.
With nine minutes into the clock, Elizabeth Stephens (North Carolina) received a pass from Kelsey Kolojejchick, sending it into the goal after maneuvering past a couple of opponent defenders.
The Terps (Maryland Terrapins) earned many opportunities in the later part of the first period but they failed to make an equalisation. The first half of play concluded with North Carillon holding a 1-0 lead.
The duo played an end-to-end game in the early part of the second frame, that was filled with numerous attacks and counterattacks. With seven minutes left in the match, Kolojejchick made a lengthy run, creating an opportunity for Stephens for a second goal.
Stephens, who was standing right before the cage, comfortably tapped the ball into the goal, increasing the advantage for North Carolina.
At that moment, the Tar Heels (North Carolina) were thinking about the 2-0 victory over the Treps. However, that did not happen and the entire scenario changed within a few minutes.
Katie Gerzabek managed to take the ball in front of the cage and easily tapped it into the net, reducing the difference to a single goal, 2-1.
Maryland received a short corner in the dying seconds of the match that proved to be more than just a blessing. Jemma Buckley whacked the penalty shot, making a tie at the completion of the regular time period.
In order to make the match a decisive one, the two teams moved into overtime, with a deadlock at two-all.
With six minutes into the overtime, Jill Witmer made a long run and dodged many opposing players while crossing the other side of the circle.
She volleyed a powerful shot, marking the game-winner for the Treps. Following the wonderful show, Maryland won the match as well as the championship.
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