Two years ago, Maryland women’s soccer defender Jlon Flippens’ club team struggled to generate offense, though the group had the personnel and familiarity to score with consistency, the freshman said.
After struggling offensively for a stretch of its schedule, Flippens’ team adopted an up-tempo approach, attempting to push multiple offensive players forward as quickly as possible. It took a few games for the offense to respond, Flippens said, but when it did, scoring wasn’t a challenge.
Now starting for the Terps, Flippens is on a team facing a similar challenge. Maryland’s 1-0 loss to the Purdue in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Thursday night marked the third time in as many games the Terps went scoreless. Maryland hasn’t scored a goal in 282 minutes.
“We’re a little uptight,” Flippens said. “Just letting loose and having fun and enjoying the game would help us make better and quicker decisions. Taking risks, taking good shots.”
Against the Boilermakers, Flippens represented Maryland’s best opportunity to end its six-game losing skid. With about 30 minutes remaining in regulation, midfielder Darby Moore’s pass, intended for midfielder Kate Waters, landed in front of Flippens.
She stood alone on the right side of the box and fired off a line-drive shot. It sailed high and to the right of the net.
“Maybe the results are getting them down,” coach Ray Leone said. “We have to be getting on the end line where the cover is not. We have people that can do it. We’re choosing not to do it. The game was very even, and they just shot more than we did. It’s more threats.”
While the Terps couldn’t create offensive chances, Purdue capitalized on one of two corner attempts Maryland surrendered. In the 79th minute, Purdue defender Dannah Williams deposited a deflected corner kick into the the upper-left corner of the net to give the Boilermakers their lead.
The Terps addressed defending corners after Penn State scored all three of its goals off corner attempts in a 3-0 win over Maryland last Sunday. The way Purdue recorded its goal isn’t what concerned the Terps’ first-year coach.
“They’ve got to do what I’ve asked them to do, which is get end-line services more often than not,” Leone said. “It’s not like [opposing defenses] are making us go anywhere. We’re doing it to ourselves by dribbling into pressure.”
Maryland played the majority of the game without forward Jarena Harmon, whose eight goals are second behind forward Chelsea Jackson’s nine. About 12 minutes before intermission, Harmon was helped off the field after holding her left leg.
Harmon returned in the second but didn’t make an impact as Maryland struggled to advance the ball beyond midfield.
“Teams are realizing how threatening our forwards are,” goalkeeper Rachel Egyed said. “[Defenses] are not allowing forwards to have the ball and not giving them space when they shoot.”
Still, the Terps were outshot, 17-9, though they matched Purdue’s four shots in first half.
The inability to score routinely is a new challenge for Maryland, which had suffered only two shutouts before its three straight shutouts. The Terps recorded a combined 11 goals over their nine losses before Oct. 6.
That’s why Flippens felt pressure as she attempted to give Maryland an advantage early in the second half.
“It was probably the best opportunity we had all game,” Flippens said. “I just saw the ball. I wanted it in the back of the net, and it didn’t go there. I was very frustrated. That could have been the game changer.”
