Kennedy Bell held her position as the last defender on the backline. The Maryland women’s soccer defender tracked the incoming midfielder with her eyes.
A misguided tap by Bell kept the ball loose in the box. Washington midfielder Samiah Shell wasted no time with the shot, scoring the Huskies’ first of three goals on Thursday.
The Terps faced a one-goal deficit just 47 seconds into the match – it only deepened throughout as Maryland fell, 3-0, to Washington at Ludwig Field. The Terps were outshot by the Huskies 20-to-three and remain scoreless across their last 12 conference games.
“We have to be better in those moments and not allow something to become something bigger, and that’s where we have to clean up those things,” coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer said. “I don’t feel like they were threatening and breaking us down. I feel like we gave them opportunities.”
The Terps fought back after the early score, pushing up the pitch. Maryland (3-4-3) earned an offensive corner, allowing Taryn Raibon to get the first shot off in the fifth minute.
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The response on Thursday was quicker and more efficient than a week ago against Michigan State where the Terps’ only shot came in the 62nd minute.
Starting the game on its heels, Maryland turned up the intensity and worked to hold possession. The Terps attacked the box, creating opportunities and earning two corners in the first half. Taking a few chances in the Huskies’ defensive third, Maryland spent most of its minutes defending.
“We scouted something that we got away from in the first half. So we spoke about some available space that we wanted to find Peyton in, and I thought we did a really good job with that,” Nemzer said.
A Washington (4-2-2) shot slammed into the shins of Halle Johnson in the 34th minute. The ball was passed back out, giving Jace Holmes a clear shot at net. Maryland goalkeeper Liz Beardsley dove upward, swatting the ball away with her fingertips and pushing the ball over the crossbar. This marked her second save of the half and kept the cage safe.
Maryland’s defense remained effective after the score in the opening minute of the match. The Terps’ aggression led to an inefficient Washington attack – out of its nine first-half shots, only three were on goal.
Maryland made a push early on in the second period. The offense drove up the pitch within seconds of the whistle. Three Terp connecting passes found the feet of Lisa McIntyre, but a missed shot saw the play disappear as quickly as it started.
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The Terps held off the Huskies until a long shot outside the box broke through. Radisson Banks received a ball played out by a Maryland player, before slamming the ball into the bottom left of the net to double the deficit in the 53rd minute.
Beardsley continued to be a stalwart in the cage, making crucial saves for the Terps. Her efforts remained strong, although crucial mistakes by the Terp defense continued to wreak havoc.
The Huskies paraded up the pitch, moving through Maryland’s middle third. Samiah continued through the momentum, taking a far shot from the outside right of the box. The ball didn’t make it far but bounced off Maryland defender Tahirah Turnage-Morales’s knee. The bouncing ball faked out Beardsley and rolled into the net, notching Washington’s third goal.
Washington capitalized on Maryland’s defensive miscues all night long, dropping the Terps to 0-2 in Big Ten play.
“We have to continue to see who’s showing up consistently right now. I think that there were some positives,” Nemzer said. “There’s some youngsters got some minutes as well, and I think that they’re growing into our identity as well.”
