On four occasions Sunday, Maryland women’s soccer defender Hope Gouterman positioned herself in front of the net for extra protection in the box. All four times, Gouterman blocked a Penn State shot attempt.
Entering their matchup with the Nittany Lions, the Terps backline had allowed at least three goals in its last four games. Often, they left opposing forwards or midfielders uncovered in the box.
When Maryland’s defense has struggled this season, some of the issues have been attributed to inconsistent communication. Forward Maddy Turner said the Terps needed to get organized defensively after Maryland’s 4-0 loss to Ohio State last Thursday.
So as Maryland prepared to host No. 13 Penn State, the defense wanted to be more aggressive. The Terps felt that tactic was beneficial despite losing, 3-0, to the Nittany Lions.
“We said, ‘We’re not going to give up a goal like this, and it’s not going to come easy for them,'” Gouterman said. “This is one of the more important games we’ve played so far. We’re Maryland Terrapins, and nobody thinks twice but they should. That’s what we’re trying to prove.”
Defenders Marisa Knott, Jlon Flippens, Julia New and Gouterman started on Maryland’s backline, and despite Penn State’s early offensive success, coach Ray Leone made only one defensive substitution.
While Maryland’s lack of aggression has resulted in several scores this season, the Terps’ decision to play up tempo gave the Nittany Lions additional offensive opportunities they converted.
Defender Brittany Basinger’s score in the 13th minute came on a corner kick. Seconds prior, the Terps opted to kick the ball out of bounds, awarding Penn State the corner attempt. Basinger’s second goal in the 60th minute followed a similar sequence.
Still, because Penn State’s three goals came as a result of corners, Leone is pleased with the defensive progress.
“I was like, ‘We finally found something,'” Leone said. “I was excited to see that. There wasn’t even that many [corner attempts]. We’re going to have to practice [defending corners]. We have the same number of people in there, so it’s evened up.”
While goalkeeper Katelyn Jensen has started eight of her 11 appearances, Leone opted to have goalie Rachel Egyed play 90 minutes against Penn State. She tallied eight saves, and in the second half left the net and jogged 30 yards upfield to make a play on a Nittany Lions offensive player.
She, too, was a part of the defensive adjustments.
“[Egyed] has some great saves and kept our head high,” forward Jarena Harmon said. “[The defense] was really empowering to be honest. It makes you want to play better and open up things for them.”
As the Terps prepare for their last four Big Ten games, Gouterman said the loss to Penn State should serve as a turning point for their defensive strategy.
“If they get a goal, they’re going to have to work for it,” Gouterman said. “That’s something we should be consistently saying. We have something, and we’re going to bring it to the table every day. I think we did that today.”
