Maryland women’s soccer’s Katie Coyle watched as a loose ball rolled into the box. Cutting back, the senior defender raced to stop an incoming Illinois attacker. Coyle struck her leg down, making contact with forward Sarah Foley’s shins. Both players tumbled to the grass.

Foley rose and threw her arms in the air. A whistle penalized Coyle with a yellow card and gave Foley a penalty kick. A wrong guess to the right side on the junior’s shot from Terps goalkeeper Liz Beardsley created an opening for an Illini goal.

Despite improved offense in the second half, Maryland fell 1-0 to Illinois on the road on Sunday. The Terps remained winless in Big Ten play, still without a single goal.

“I thought the second half adjustments resulted in more urgency to go to goal, more opportunities I felt like we were on their half,” coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer said. “It was too much of a slow start for us in the [first] 45 minutes.”

Maryland (3-6-4, 0-4-1 Big Ten) entered on a five-match losing streak, unable to afford mistakes close to the net. Its aggression and unorganized backline resulted in an early deficit on Sunday.

After Coyle’s first yellow card, junior forward Delaney DeMartino earned another in the second half. The Terps gathered 11 fouls throughout the match, six more than the Illini.

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Illinois (5-5-2, 1-3-1 Big Ten) succeeded in creating chaos in Maryland’s box, notching 11 shots over the first 45 minutes. The Terps scrambled between defending and clearing the ball to the sidelines. Beardsley, one match after tying her career high in saves, was needed often as an asset.

The senior earned two saves just nine seconds apart in the 28th minute, deflecting a series of balls from differing angles. She continued to throw herself around the cage in the first half, holding the Illini to just one score.

“Liz in the first half came up big to keep it 1-0. I think the biggest thing for us is that she continues to have confidence,” Nemzer said. “She kept us in the game and allowed us to have a high chance.”

Beardsley’s physicality wasn’t alone. Maryland’s defenders consistently put their bodies in front of the ball as well. Senior defender Halle Johnson pumped her chest out to shield an incoming shot early in the second half.

After not recording its first shot until the 64th minute in their last match, the Terps’ offense earned a corner in the first 50 seconds of the game. The early opportunity seemed promising. But they couldn’t capitalize. They didn’t manage much on offense until the second half.

“We switched formations at halftime, but we also spoke about playing a little bit more in their half,” Nemzer said. “They were pressing us and trying to play short, so seeing that space and behind I thought we did a good job competing for first and second balls.”

Freshman midfielder Kate Hawley notched a shot near the frame with 20 minutes remaining after an Illinois foul, one of Maryland’s best scoring chances of the match.

[Maryland women’s soccer is focused on controllables amid grim stretch]

Senior midfielder Lauren Wrigley took a free kick, aiming an overarching shot into the box. Hawley positioned herself near the right post and tapped the ball backward, but Illini goalkeeper Izzy Lee made her first save of the match.

Hawley had another look blocked a few minutes later.

Defenders Kennedy Bell and Taryn Raibon aided the offense following Hawley’s two shots. Increased Maryland possessions created a more even-paced match after Illinois dominated the majority of the contest.

Even with significant opportunities in the second half, Maryland still failed to finish. The Terps are still in search of a conference goal when they face Ohio State on Friday.