Harvard freshman goaltender Kelly Knoche had her streak of four consecutive shutouts snapped by No. 2 Maryland in a 1-0 defeat at Jordan Field yesterday.

Netminder Kelly Knoche had not allowed a goal all year, and yesterday, the Harvard field hockey team was hoping that the streak would claim its fifth and most impressive victim in No. 2 Maryland.

The precocious freshman nearly made their wish come true.

The Crimson (4-1, 1-0 Ivy) allowed its first and only goal of the season in a 1-0 loss to the Terrapins (9-0) at Jordan Field, two days after beating Holy Cross by a score of 3-0.

MARYLAND 1, HARVARD 0

Unranked Harvard became the first team to hold Maryland to one goal or less since national champion Wake Forest in the 2004 NCAA semifinals.

The last time the Crimson and Maryland met was in 2003, when the Terrapins won 5-1.

But, of course, all it takes is one goal for a gem to become a loss.

“Today wasn’t a moral victory,” Harvard coach Sue Caples summarized. “It was a good test.”

Knoche, to her credit, passed with flying colors. She recorded seven saves against a national power that spent almost the entire game on the Crimson’s side of the field.

The Terps challenged her and senior backfield leader Beth Sackovich with 11 penalty corners to Harvard’s none, and with 17 shots as opposed to the Crimson’s one.

“She and the defense own the circle, and we were able to hold our own,” Caples said.

The lone score of the game came from Maryland forward Jackie Ciconte at 10:50, when she commandeered a shot attempt from teammate Sarah Scholl and dove to beat Knoche to the back of the cage.

The Harvard offense was never able to retaliate thereafter.

Maryland goalie Kathryn Masson only needed one save for the shutout as the Crimson wasn’t able to get a shot beyond freshman Tami Jafar’s first-half volley.

The Terrapins, meanwhile, kept threatening with eight penalty corners in the second half alone.