Spring Break
Practice makes perfect for Terps on corners
Eric Detweiler
Issue date: 9/12/07 Section: Sports
On paper, a field hockey penalty corner is a simple enough scoring opportunity.
The offense hits the ball from the goal line out to a group of players positioned around the circle. Then the offense needs to get by four defenders and the goalie to score.
In practice, it is pure chaos. With the ball flying out to the top of the circle just before the defenders come crashing in and the goalie diving horizontally to cover more of the goal, the result is reminiscent of a Spartan battle scene.
"The defenders are right on top of you," Terrapin field hockey junior midfielder Susie Rowe said. "They're running at your face. That creates pressure, and sometimes your skill goes off. There's such little time and margin for error that your skills have to be spot on."
Amid the turmoil, the Terps have found success employing a variety of plays off penalty corners resulting in at least nine goals so far this season.
When it comes down to it, practice does make perfect for the Terps. They generally work on penalty corners at the end of each practice, and Rowe said the team has worked on them even more this season than in her previous two.
The team has 10 or 11 different plays they can run off any corner, according to freshman forward Katie O'Donnell.
Sometimes it's as simple as the "injector," usually either Janneke van Leeuwen or Bri Davies, playing the ball to O'Donnell for a stick stop and a quick shot by Rowe. Other times the play involves fake shots or additional passes.
Coach Missy Meharg said she's happy her players take executing the plays as technically perfect as possible as a challenge.
"It's a lot of fun," Meharg said. "We're very fortunate to have a group that loves that intricate stuff."
Rowe likes penalty corners because, as a defender, they are one of the few times she has an opportunity to be involved in the scoring. She has to decide quickly whether to rip a shot or dish off to a teammate who may have a better angle.
The offense hits the ball from the goal line out to a group of players positioned around the circle. Then the offense needs to get by four defenders and the goalie to score.
In practice, it is pure chaos. With the ball flying out to the top of the circle just before the defenders come crashing in and the goalie diving horizontally to cover more of the goal, the result is reminiscent of a Spartan battle scene.
"The defenders are right on top of you," Terrapin field hockey junior midfielder Susie Rowe said. "They're running at your face. That creates pressure, and sometimes your skill goes off. There's such little time and margin for error that your skills have to be spot on."
Amid the turmoil, the Terps have found success employing a variety of plays off penalty corners resulting in at least nine goals so far this season.
When it comes down to it, practice does make perfect for the Terps. They generally work on penalty corners at the end of each practice, and Rowe said the team has worked on them even more this season than in her previous two.
The team has 10 or 11 different plays they can run off any corner, according to freshman forward Katie O'Donnell.
Sometimes it's as simple as the "injector," usually either Janneke van Leeuwen or Bri Davies, playing the ball to O'Donnell for a stick stop and a quick shot by Rowe. Other times the play involves fake shots or additional passes.
Coach Missy Meharg said she's happy her players take executing the plays as technically perfect as possible as a challenge.
"It's a lot of fun," Meharg said. "We're very fortunate to have a group that loves that intricate stuff."
Rowe likes penalty corners because, as a defender, they are one of the few times she has an opportunity to be involved in the scoring. She has to decide quickly whether to rip a shot or dish off to a teammate who may have a better angle.
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