Midfielder/Forward Madison Turner prepares to kick the ball down the field during the Terps 4-0 victory over William and Mary on August 28, 2014 at Ludwig Field.
Minutes before the Terrapins women’s soccer team was scheduled to play N.C. State on Sunday night, lightning struck within 16 miles of Ludwig Field. By rule, the game was stalled, and referees and school officials planned to reevaluate the situation at 6:15 p.m.
But soon after, the lightning moved within an eight-mile radius. The match was delayed until further notice.
Almost two hours elapsed before the teams finally hit the field, but the Terps managed to overcome the delay and pull out a 2-1 victory. The team appeared sluggish at times once the match got underway, but the players leaned on one another to remain focused.
“This group wants to win,” coach Jonathan Morgan said. “They’re disappointed about last season, so their concentration and focus is at a better level.”
After the delay was first announced, the Terps tried to avoid becoming too tense and kept the atmosphere loose. Midfielder Sarah Molina said the Terps enjoyed themselves during the break with loud music and even dancing.
But as the weather delay wore on, their attitudes began to change.
“It kept going on and on, and so people were getting tired and getting antsy,” Molina said. “So our attitude went down and our energy level went down.”
When the Terps learned the delay was over, players said the anxiousness subsided. Instead, they focused as Morgan ran over the game plan.
“Jonathan made us quiet down and he was like, ‘We’ve been dead for 30 minutes and not talking, so this needs to be a great start for us,’” Molina said. “We came out with a lot of energy.”
The Terps followed through, and their enthusiasm lasted for most of the first half, in which they scored once and took eight shots compared with three for the Wolfpack.
But in the opening minutes of the second half, N.C. State forward Kayla Saager finished past goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands to tie the game. Though the Terps thoroughly controlled the game up to that point, they no longer held an advantage on the scoreboard.
Beanlands didn’t allow the misstep to change her tone in goal, though. The 5-foot-9 junior yelled words of encouragement to her teammates as they tried to net the go-ahead goal.
“It was really great to hear Beans because she pumped us up a lot after that goal,” Molina said. “She’s a natural-born leader. You always hear her voice and she’s always there to pick everyone up.”
With Beanlands shouting at the other end of the field, Molina headed in the winning goal for the Terps in the 61st minute.
The Terps held onto the lead, and nearly four hours after the game was scheduled to begin, the final whistle blew to signal the Terps had earned the victory and evened their record at 2-2.
“It’s a good weekend for us,” Morgan said. “We still have to be better in the final third, but you could see how we want to move and how we want to play. The soccer itself is coming together.”
