With 15 minutes left in the first half Temple goalkeeper Kamryn Stablein frustratedly yelled at her defenders after being forced into her fourth save of the game. She did so just a few moments after she saw the ball come within inches of crossing her goal line following a Maryland corner kick and a collision of players between the Owls and Terps.
Despite controlling the pace of play for the majority of the game, Maryland women’s soccer failed to score its chances as it drew 1-1 at Temple Thursday in its first game under new coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer. The Terps started last season with a commanding 3-0 win over the Owls.
Transfers played a big role in the match, with over half Maryland’s starting eleven made up of players who joined the Terps from other schools this season. Transfers Alina Stahl, Christa Waterman and Juliana Lynch all showed their importance in the first half, earning starts, while graduate transfer Kam Fisher also made a profound impact after substituting into the game early.
Even with lots of new players Maryland kept the pressure on for a majority of the game, winning possession in Temple’s half of the field multiple times and forcing the Owls back. The Terps earned six corner kicks and registered five shots but couldn’t register a goal in the opening half.
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The offense looked direct on the wings as forwards like Fisher constantly found their way beyond Temple’s backline to create chances in the box. One opportunity culminated in the Terps’ best chance of the first half as Mia Isaac received the ball inside the penalty box from a layoff, but put her shot over the bar.
Before the season, Coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer emphasized a creative offensive showing against Temple as well as for the entire season.
“I think what you’ll see is a team that is more disciplined defensively and more creative on the attacking side,” Nemzer said. “You know, my biggest thing is I don’t want them to be robots. I want them to have that freedom to see what the game is giving them.”
The second half began in similar fashion, with Maryland on the front foot. However, Temple struck first after capitalizing from a corner against the run of play to break the deadlock. Emily Kavanaugh, Temple’s leading goalscorer last season, scored the header, putting it just out of the reach of goalkeeper Madeline Smith.
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Maryland responded almost immediately with a debut goal from West Virginia transfer Alina Stahl off of an assist by Florida transfer Sydney Urban.
The Terps were hungry to force another error from the Owls, as regular season games no longer go to overtime if the game is tied at the end of 90 minutes due to a new rule change.
Maryland registered shot after shot but Stablein made save after save, mirroring her first-half performance. The Temple goalkeeper faced a total of 16 shots and made seven saves throughout the match.
The Terps continued to create opportunities but couldn’t break through, succumbing to a draw despite registering nine more shots than the Owls.
