Defender Pratt Shade runs after a loose ball during the Terps’ 4-0 victory over William and Mary on August 28, 2014 at Ludwig Field
After nearly two years of anticipation, the Terrapins women’s soccer team will battle Rutgers on Friday night in the university’s first Big Ten home game in any sport.
While the men’s soccer team will play the first official conference game in Michigan a few hours earlier, the Terps women aren’t taking their place in history lightly.
“We’re all really excited,” forward Shade Pratt said. “We had the chance to join a new conference, be the first, and we get to do it at home.”
The match against the Scarlet Knights — the other new member of the Big Ten — is the Terps’ sixth game of the season. The Terps struggled in back-to-back losses to start the season against No. 1 UCLA and No. 13 Pepperdine, but they’ve earned two wins and a draw in their past three games.
The Terps’ challenging nonconference schedule gave them a glimpse of what they’ll see from some of the better teams in the Big Ten. The conference has two teams ranked inside the top 10 — Penn State is No. 8 and Wisconsin is No. 9 — while four additional Big Ten squads received votes in the poll.
“There are some really, really special players in the Big Ten,” coach Jonathan Morgan said. “In the ACC you have special players, but you have really great teams. In the Big Ten, you have good teams, but you have a lot of special players that can do things a little bit more individually and present bigger problems.”
Goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands and midfielder Riley Barger mentioned in August they believe the style of play in the Big Ten will be different than in the ACC. They said they expect teams in their new conference to be more physical compared with their former conference, in which many teams were more possession-oriented.
Since Morgan joined the Terps as an assistant coach in 2007, his team has played just two Big Ten opponents. In their most recent battle with a Big Ten foe, the Terps suffered a 1-0 defeat to Ohio State in 2012.
“As a coaching staff, we’re pretty familiar with the style of play,” Morgan said. “But with the kids, I don’t think they really know anything other than it’s the Big Ten, and it’s supposed to be big and physical and direct soccer.”
When the Terps attempt to match the Scarlet Knights’ physicality, they’ll do so without a full complement of players. Forward Alex Anthony, who is dealing with hamstring issues, will not play tonight. Cory Ryan will also be sidelined after having surgery last week on her broken arm.
Fortunately, other players have stepped into more significant roles and have excelled. Midfielder Maisie McCune saw the field in four games last season but became a starter after Ryan’s injury and has started in the past three games.
“It’s all about adaptation and being flexible and having a bench that’s always ready to step up whenever they’re needed,” Beanlands said. “We’ve been able to fill those spots pretty well.”
Whomever the Terps put on the field tonight, they’ll attempt to earn the school’s first Big Ten home game.
“It’s awesome to bring the school into the league and be the first game,” Morgan said. “It’s new for Maryland and it’s new for us, so we’re excited about it.”
