No.1 Maryland at No.2 Northwestern Tonight: Unbeaten Big Ten Records on the Line in Evanston

This is the one the whole season has been building towards.

No.1 Maryland walk into Lakeside Field in Evanston tonight (8pm ET, Big Ten Network) at 14-0 overall and 5-0 in the Big Ten. Waiting for them: No.2 Northwestern, 14-1 and also 5-0 in conference play. One of them leaves with a perfect Big Ten record. The other leaves with work to do.

It’s the only nationally televised college field hockey game in the country today, and honestly? It deserves the slot.

The poll says Maryland. The RPI says Northwestern

Here’s the quirk that makes this even better. The national poll has Maryland on top, 219 points and 10 of the 11 first-place votes, with Northwestern second on 210. But the RPI, the ranking the NCAA tournament committee actually leans on, flips them: Northwestern No.1, Maryland No.2.

Northwestern’s only loss all season came in overtime at Princeton, 2-1 on 11 October. Since then they’ve been ruthless, and Ilse Tromp is the name Maryland’s defence has to solve. She’s got 11 goals this season, two of them in last Friday’s 4-1 win at Indiana.

Maryland’s answer starts at the back. Goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko is stopping shots at .830 with a 0.98 goals-against average, numbers that win you games like this. In front of her, Babs van Hest has been doing damage at both ends, eight goals and nine assists.

Recent history favours the hosts

One more thing Maryland have to shake off: Northwestern have won the last four meetings between these two, including a 2-1 comeback win last October when they trailed 1-0. The all-time series is almost dead level, Maryland ahead 19-18, so there’s no fear factor either way. Just two teams who know each other too well.

For our money, the midfield battle decides it. If Tromp gets time on the ball in the final third, Northwestern win at home. If Maryland’s press forces the game wide and scrappy, the Terps’ defence has been too good all year to bet against.

The winner takes sole control of the Big Ten race with the regular season nearly done. The loser probably has to beat the other one in the conference tournament to take the top seed back. Simple as that.

The honours context: the NFHCA national players of the week, the ACC stretch run, and the Big East honours.