Yellow and red cards alike set the tone for Maryland women’s soccer’s Sunday’s match at Ludwig Field. In a penalty-rich matchup against Florida, the Terps fell, 3-1, snapping a four-game home winning streak.
The matchup appeared even at first, with both teams showcasing their athleticism and ball control. Maryland (4-2) midfielder Ellie Egeland continued to showcase her dominance on the pitch, breaking through Florida’s defense for two of the Terps’ three shots-on-goal in the half.
But the Terps saw serious trouble when defender/midfielder Mia Mitchell received a red card in the 45th minute for denial of an obvious goal scoring opportunity. The call resulted from Mitchell tripping a Florida (3-2) player and stepping over her, causing officials to believe she deliberately missed a chance to score. The Terps played the rest of the match with 10 players, while Mitchell is ineligible for Thursday’s game against James Madison.
“I think to have a red card so early in the game is disappointing. Whether I agree or disagree with it doesn’t really matter,” Marchiano said. “It’s disappointing for us to have an opportunity to play today against a good opponent, and to have to do it with 10 players for a long time.”
In the 83rd minute, Maryland defender Alyssa Abramson received a yellow card for unsportsmanlike behavior.
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Florida similarly saw issues with player conduct. Forward Addy Hess received a yellow card in the second half. Florida ended the match with six fouls, and Maryland recorded a season-high nine.
Controversial foul calls throughout the match irritated coaches and players alike from both sides, but mainly seemed to shake the Terps. As the game progressed, Maryland players resorted to wide shots and quick plays to compensate.
While down a player, forward Kelsey Smith dribbled past the Florida defense and assisted defender Tahirah Turnage-Morales for her first goal of the season — and of her career — in the 58th minute. Smith’s athleticism and speed were key in Maryland regaining momentum and keeping spirits high.
The Gators, however, seized the player advantage and kept the ball far from their net, notching two more goals in the second half. Their second goal of the match came off a penalty kick that just managed to slip past goalkeeper Faith Luckey.
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Luckey, a redshirt sophomore, has shown promise so far this season in the net. She made eight saves against the Gators — breaking her previous season record of seven saves against Old Dominion.
After Thursday’s match against Navy, coach Michael Marchiano emphasized the importance of the team maintaining collective energy. Ball movement was ever-present in Sunday’s game, as the Terps found wins in foot races and rotated the ball all around the pitch.
“I’m really proud of the energy that the girls put into the game today— the girls who started the game, and the girls who came into the game — and I think it’s contagious, and they sort of share that energy with each other,” Marchiano said. “And trust me, it’s not the last bit of adversity we’re going to face.”
Although the Terps maintained offensive pressure and continued the energy Marchiano has sought from his players, the Gators managed a third goal in the 80th minute that all but sealed the result.
The Terps now face a 13-game stretch of tough competitors, including their first conference game against Penn State.
“While our results have been positive early on, just every phase of the performance is going to have to be at the highest level for us to be competitive moving forward,” Marchiano said.
