The Terrapins run out on to the field before the Maryland vs Illinois Women’s Soccer match.
Moments after the Terrapins women’s soccer team defeated Pittsburgh, 3-1, in last year’s regular-season finale, it received some uplifting news.
Because N.C. State knocked off Wake Forest, the Terps, who entered the match ninth in the ACC standings, slid into the eighth position and qualified for the conference tournament.
“It was a big celebration after the game,” goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands said. “We were really happy to get in.”
And this season, the Terps, who are eighth in the Big Ten standings, face a similar situation entering their last regular-season game. But if they go into State College, Pennsylvania, and defeat No. 6 Penn State tonight, they’ll clinch a conference tournament berth and get a chance to relive the excitement and jubilation from last season’s victory over the Panthers.
“We control our own destiny to get to the Big Ten tournament with a result here,” coach Jonathan Morgan said. “Our future really kind of hangs in the balance of this match.”
While the Terps (5-6-6, 3-4-5 Big Ten) beat up on a struggling Pittsburgh squad last season — the Panthers were winless in conference play — they’ll likely have a tougher time against Penn State (16-2-0, 11-1-0).
The Nittany Lions already clinched the Big Ten regular-season title and the top seed in the conference tournament. They profited from a prolific offense, which has scored a conference-leading 45 goals, and from a solid defense, which has allowed 13.
Morgan expressed concern about the Nittany Lions’ balanced attack. Though forward Frannie Crouse paces the team with eight goals, five players have scored at least five times.
“We’re going to have to defend well,” Morgan said. “They have lightning pace up top. They have three really fast kids that we’re going to have to deal with.”
Though upsetting Penn State would guarantee the Terps a spot in the conference tournament, it isn’t a dire necessity.
Unlike last season — when the Morgan’s squad needed a victory and some help to squeeze into the ACC tournament field — the Terps can still qualify with a draw or loss.
In the event of a draw, the Terps would have 15 points, which is three more than both Ohio State and Northwestern. So even if the Buckeyes and Wildcats win their matches Friday, the Terps would still be part of a three-way tie for eighth place, forcing the conference to implement a tiebreaker.
Even a loss won’t shatter their tournament aspirations. Losses by Ohio State and Northwestern, in addition to a Nebraska loss or tie, would likely keep the Terps as the eighth seed.
And though the Terps might finish in the top eight with all of these scenarios, Morgan doesn’t want to deal with the uncertainly.
“As Jon puts it, if we win, we have our fate in our own hands,” Beanlands said. “We don’t have to rely on other people’s results to get us through.”
When the Terps step onto Jeffrey Field, they’ll be without one of their senior leaders. Midfielder Cory Ryan, who has made 71 appearances in her career, suffered a stress fracture in her foot against Illinois on Oct. 19 and is out for the season.
Midfielder Lauren Berman is also done for the year with a concussion. Morgan tabbed Berman, who was the Terps’ leading returning scorer from the 2013 squad, as an impact player entering the season.
Nevertheless, the rest of the team will suit up with the hopes of earning their first win against a ranked foe this year while extending their inaugural season in the Big Ten.
“Along the way we haven’t gotten the results we wanted,” midfielder Riley Barger said. “So, basically, going into this game, it’s all or nothing. We need to win.”
