Ohio State midfielder Christin Baumbick found herself alone in the Maryland goal box with less than a minute remaining in Sunday’s match. The senior received a pass before nailing a one-time shot towards the net.

Baumbick’s strike arrowed toward the bottom left corner, but was redirected after Katie Coyle attempted to clear the shot. The ball found the back of the net and stripped Maryland women’s soccer of a strong defensive effort in a 1-0 loss to Ohio State at Ludwig Field on Sunday.

The Buckeyes (5-3-2, 1-1-1 Big Ten) earned more possession after the starting whistle. Despite the wet pitch, Ohio State constructed crisp passes in its defense to move the ball up into the attacking third.

Peyton Bernard had the first of Maryland’s scoring opportunities in the 14th minute. Bernard connected with Kennedy Bell in a quick short passing sequence. With a defender lurking, Bernard touched the ball into open space at the top of the box. Her left-footed shot neared the top left corner of the net, but went out for a goal kick.

“I thought we executed the game plan on the attacking side of the space that we wanted to get into,” coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer said. “Just couldn’t put a few into the back of the net.”

[Maryland women’s soccer creates 17 shots but can’t score in 0-0 draw with Purdue]

The Terps (3-3-5, 0-2-1 Big Ten) created more scoring opportunities with Bell’s presence in the midfield. The freshman registered three shots after Nemzer assigned her to a more attacking role Sunday.

Defender Halle Johnson tracked an incoming Buckeye charging into the goal box in the 24th minute. Johnson slid and knocked the ball away from danger without hesitation, but stayed down with a leg injury. The junior was eventually carried off the field and did not return after a strong defensive display.

Maryland’s shutout remained intact early on thanks to goalkeeper Liz Beardsley.

Beardsley’s first real test came in the 31st minute. Amanda Schlueter found herself free from Maryland defenders before receiving a pass and rifling a shot on net. Beardsley matched it, successfully diving to her right and pushing the ball out for a corner kick.

Beardsley earned two first-half saves to keep the game scoreless at halftime. She finished with eight stops in Sunday’s contest.

“I think we expect her to come up big and make those saves when we need her to … that’s exactly what she did today,” Catherine DeRosa said.

[Maryland women’s soccer’s goal to “win the DMV” starts with winning at Ludwig Field]

Ohio State started the second half on the front foot. The Buckeyes drew a foul in Maryland’s defensive third in the 47th minute. The shot from the free kick sent Beardsley high, but she got her fingertips to the ball to send it over for a corner kick.

The Buckeyes’ ensuing corner kick found the head of an attacker, but her shot ricocheted off the post and out for a Maryland goal kick.

But the Terps added their own pressure on the opposition and created their own opportunities. In the 55th minute, Ava Morales’ cross trickled across the box and eventually found DeRosa’s foot. The senior cut the ball back onto her left foot and placed her shot toward the far post, which almost found Lauren Wrigley, but the ball scattered out for an Ohio State goal kick.

“I think our chances definitely progressed,” DeRosa said. “I think we created more quality chances actually on the frame of the goal and now we have to continue to plug away.”

The Terps and Buckeyes dueled back and forth in the opposition’s offensive thirds as the clock ticked down. Maryland’s communication on the backline kept Ohio State searching for the opening goal. The Buckeyes eventually got it with their 24th shot of Sunday’s game, condemning the Terps to their first defeat at Ludwig Field this season.