Maryland women’s soccer has produced only one goal against Penn State in a 21-year losing streak.
The last time the team won against their Big Ten rival was Nov. 14, 2004, and the last time they scored was a singular goal in 2021.
Maryland lost to Penn State last Thursday, 4-0, in what marked both teams’ Big Ten opener. Looking to avoid dropping their 12th straight game to Penn State, the Terps instead fell victim to a subpar defensive effort.
Center back Tahirah Turnage-Morales has struggled to command Maryland’s back line this season, particularly as the Terps play more competitive opponents.
“We’re going to have to tweak things defensively when we are stable, and whether that’s system or personnel, we need to find a way to limit the opponent’s threats,” coach Michael Marchiano said. “We just have to be prepared to meet the demands of the game.”
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In the matchup against the Nittany Lions, Maryland tried multiple defensive strategies.
Marchiano implemented a 4-2-3-1 style formation — a setup with four defenders, two defensive midfielders, three attacking midfielders and a striker. This formation is a popular way to arrange players at the start of a match, particularly when a coach wants to emphasize versatility and a balance between offensive and defensive players.
But Maryland continued to face the same defensive issues that have cropped up throughout the season. Penn State saw the holes in the Terps’ back line and seized every opportunity to score.
After the Nittany Lions scored consecutive goals in less than a minute, Maryland’s defensive midfielders played back for the rest of the half. Even though this move was intended to reinforce the back line, it caused congestion and limited where the Terps could send the ball.
On the other hand, Penn State played wide, using the entire field and finding space. And despite trying to anticipate where the ball would move next, Maryland had to play catch-up — a critical part of the Nittany Lions’ gameplan and a costly failure for the Terps.
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Marchiano switched up the team’s formation at halftime after struggles in that stretch. Maryland kept four defenders on the back line but opted to have three midfielders and three forwards in a 4-3-3 formation.
A greater emphasis on offense in the second half reflected Marchiano’s desire to put a goal on the board, but the formation didn’t change much. Maryland struggled to even cross midfield, let alone enter scoring position, in the later stage of the match.
Maryland notched just one shot on goal the entire game. Penn State had nine. Even with the intention of applying more offensive pressure, the Terps were outplayed by a more cohesive and technically talented team.
Marchiano emphasized how important it is for the Terps to improve as they face better opponents.
Despite the struggles the team saw against Penn State, the coach remains confident and positive going into conference play.
“When we think about defending, we think about it collectively, and our group knows very well that we’re going to need to defend in a near-perfect way as we face some of these top opponents,” Marchiano said. “But we can do it.”
