Freshman defender Taryn Raibon spun around just outside the box and laid a high ball toward the net late in the second half against Illinois on Sunday. Maryland women’s soccer’s offense, which has struggled to put shots on target this season, had an excellent chance to find the back of the net.
But Raibon’s shot soared over the crossbar. In just a slight moment, the opportunity disappeared as quickly as it developed.
The Terps failed to score for the fifth straight match, all against Big Ten opponents and marking more than 700 days since scoring a conference goal. Their past two contests continued what’s been common — getting stuck in defensive battles with few features of offensive play.
Coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer feels they need to focus on the final third of the field.
“Being more threatening and getting in behind,” Nemzer said. “The teams that get in behind the most are usually the ones that win, so we gotta do a better job of that.”
[Maryland women’s soccer’s offense remains stagnant in 1-0 loss to Illinois]
Maryland’s offense has faltered this year, putting up the fewest shots in the Big Ten. Once in range, the Terps haven’t been accurate. Only eight of their 21 shots in Big Ten play have been on frame.
Maryland’s formations have limited its offensive capabilities. The Terps started just one forward against Northwestern, stacking 10 of their 11 players in the midfield and backline. The defensive support kept Northwestern scoreless on Thursday, but limited rhythm in the attack.
“We’ve got to be able to connect some more passes, have a little bit more composure, be a little bit more confident,” Nemzer said. “We have the players that can do that.”
Maryland’s Big Ten opponents haven’t played with the same reservations. Michigan State, Washington, Oregon, Northwestern and Illinois notched 78 shots in their games against Maryland, more than three times the Terps’ amount in those five matches.
Slow starts have especially hurt Maryland, falling into early deficits and being unable to overcome. The first score came within the first 26 minutes in four out of the Terps’ five conference matches, including an instance as early as 47 seconds in.
[Maryland women’s soccer draws 0-0 with Northwestern in sluggish battle]
The second halves of Maryland’s most recent games have shown more scoring opportunities. After no shots in the first half against Northwestern, the Terps notched six looks — including three corner chances — in the second half.
“We spoke about some defensive rotations, we spoke about stealing them out wide,” Nemzer said. “We spoke about that at half. We also spoke about our defenders pushing up and our midfielders pushing up, we felt like our rotations were a tad bit too late.”
Maryland’s over-aggressiveness on defense hasn’t aided the offense. The Terps had 11 fouls to Illinois’ five on Sunday, limiting their overall possessions. They’ve notched nine yellow cards throughout conference play — seven more than their opponents — including one from senior defender Katie Coyle that resulted in a penalty kick and the Illini’s lone score.
An improved offense could boost Maryland’s chances over the remainder of the season. It still has six Big Ten matches left on the schedule, starting with Ohio State in Columbus on Friday.
