COLLEGE PARK, MD. - The 2009 Northeast Conference Champion Monmouth University women's soccer team fell in the first round of the NCAA Championships at No. 4 seed, and 20th-ranked Maryland, 4-0, on Friday night at Ludwig Field.

"We got off to a slow start and then I thought for the last 15 minutes of the first half we started to settle in," commented head coach Krissy Turner, who has guided Monmouth to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances in the last three years. "However in the second half, we could not sustain the pressure and credit goes to Maryland."

The Terps (13-5-2) got on the board first in the 10th minute on a rebound shot off a penalty kick. At 9:56, Tracey Biederstadt was whistled for an infraction in the box, leading to the PK attempt. On the attempt, Lia Fierro made a save, but Mallory Baker's rebound-finish into the left netting, put the Terps in front 1-0.

Trailing 1-0 at the break, Monmouth surrendered an unassisted tally to Danielle Hubka in the 54th minute, as she corralled a ball in the box and finished from 10 yards out for her fourth score of the season.

Maryland's Colleen Deegan's header at 70:21, and Caitlin Mooney's finish at 83:42 accounted for the final result.

Maryland outshot the Hawks 23-5 in the match, including 15-4 in the opening stanza. The Terps also held a 10-0 advantage in corner kicks.

Fierro made five saves in goal for the Hawks, who end the 2009 campaign with 15 victories, marking the fourth straight season in which Monmouth has posted double-digit wins.