Midfielder Cory Ryan (center) said the Terps’ light practice should help the team tonight.
At practice yesterday, the Terrapins women’s soccer team kept one goal on the end line and moved the other to midfield. The Terps scrimmaged with two teams of 11, fitting all 22 girls in the 50-by-30-feet restraints of the chalk-lined field.
Their passes were short, their sprints were brief and their shots were taken from right in front of the net.
But they didn’t play the small-ball game because they wanted to simply give themselves a break heading into a home matchup with Miami tonight. They played so they could stay more focused and alert.
“It’s less running, but we get to have more touches on the ball and play a little quicker,” midfielder Cory Ryan said. “We always have intense practices, but drills like this help us rest a little and focus on our next game.”
Less running and more resting has been the overarching theme for the No. 7 Terps this week. They haven’t played since their 3-2 overtime win at Boston College a week ago, marking the first time this season the team has had seven days between games.
“I think this break is really going to help us,” coach Jonathan Morgan said. “Us and Duke have been the last two teams in the league to get a week off, so we’ve been playing and playing and playing.”
The time off has been critical for the Terps. They’ve played two games a week since the season started in mid-August, and the break provided them a chance for some long-awaited rest.
“We’ve been tired and fatigued,” Morgan said. “I think the week off and a couple days away from the game have allowed them to get refreshed and get that excitement back. There’s been a new excitement, a new energy and a new want to get better.”
The Hurricanes (7-6-2, 2-4-1 ACC) will test the Terps’ (11-3-2, 6-1-1) renewed energy, though. Morgan said Miami is a team that likes to mount quick attacks against opposing defenses, something that should challenge the Terps’ backline early and often.
“They’re a very direct team and they send a lot of balls over the back, so we just have to watch out for those,” defender Shade Pratt said. “But we’ve really rested our legs and now we can definitely come out strong against Miami.”
The Terps’ break has come at an opportune time. They were dragging their feet Oct. 11 against Boston College, but tonight they said they’ll be more prepared.
Their tired legs and tired minds have been healed, and a week away from the pitch has been precisely what Morgan’s team needed.
“They were just tired mentally, but we’re fresh now,” Morgan said. “It’s been great for us and if they approach [tonight] the way they’ve approached the last three days, working hard and getting excited, we’ll be pretty good.”
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