Halle Johnson repeated “it’s okay, it’s okay” to a huddle of Maryland players. Minnesota had just knocked in a goal with 40 seconds remaining in the first half.
A cross penetrated the Terps’ box, landing at the foot of Ally Childers. The Gophers midfielder took a quick touch to her opposite foot and shot into the top left corner of the net.
The early score put Maryland women’s soccer in a deficit it couldn’t come back from, falling to Minnesota 1-0 at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium on Thursday.
The Terps entered the match off a win over Nebraska — their first conference victory in the past two seasons. They displayed an offense that had been dormant against most of their Big Ten opponents. That returned Thursday night.
[Interim coach Michael Marchiano brings Maryland women’s soccer together]
The game started slow as both sides focused on holding possession. The teams played a majority in the middle third. The Gophers notched the only two shots on goal throughout the first 45 minutes.
Maryland deterred Minnesota from its defensive third, using short passes and receiving progressions to keep the ball. But the Terps struggled to break through the Gophers’ strict defensive formation — they notched just one corner on their only offensive opportunity of the first half. The game continued to rely on the midfielders.
The first offensive threat for Maryland came in the 33rd minute. Ava Morales moved the ball up the pitch toward Minnesota’s box, passing through to Lisa McIntyre. McIntyre took a touch around a defender but the rest of the Gophers’ defense swarmed, resulting in a lost ball and opportunity at the net.
The match started to get scrappy late in the first half. Halle Johnson and Kennedy Bell earned two yellow cards for unsporting a minute apart. The coaching staff followed suit.
[Maryland women’s soccer tops Nebraska, 2-0, for first Big Ten win in two years]
The referee on the pitch stopped play in the 38th minute to reprimand the Maryland coaching staff, specifically pointing at assistant coach Alex Shinksy. The bench was issued a caution after discussion with interim head coach Michael Marchiano.
The physicality continued in the second half. A foul on Kelsey Smith earned Minnesota a free kick right outside the box. Small aggressive movements like Smith’s’ play aided the Gophers to a 10-shot advantage over the Terps.
Liz Beardsley kept the deficit at one with a key kick save protecting Maryland’s goal from an outside right shot. Beardsley remained crucial in the net — she notched five saves. She consistently leapt around the box, vocally directing her backline unit. Maryland continued to try to build from the back but failed to find offense.
After the Terps couldn’t get a shot off in the first half, Smith notched Maryland’s first shot in the 51st minute. The few attempts the Terps had fell short. They’ll look for offensive success against Wisconsin on Sunday.
