Ava Morales’ late heroics lifts Maryland women’s soccer to 1-0 win over Binghamton

Maryland women’s soccer was locked in a defensive battle with Binghamton in the 82nd minute when the Terps won a penalty off of a Bearcats’ handball. 

The Terps’ leading scorer, Ava Morales, stepped up to the penalty spot and blasted a shot into the right side of the net. The kick just got past the outstretched hand of Binghamton goalkeeper Kaitlyn Williams, giving Maryland a 1-0 lead. 

That was all the Terps needed.

Maryland (3-1-4) used Morales’ score to defeat Binghamton (1-4-2) in thrilling fashion, 1-0, to extend its win streak to three games. 

“I think everyone can speak that today wasn’t the most beautiful game of soccer, but it doesn’t matter because we got the result at the end of the day,” senior Catherine DeRosa said. 

The Terps attempted 12 shots with seven on goal, but many of the shots were savable and the match seemed destined for a scoreless draw. Then Morales decided otherwise.

“I think we could have created more chances but the chances that we created was enough to win the game,” DeRosa said. 

Both sides started slow with no shots on goal throughout the entire first half. Chances were few and far between in the contest. 

Binghamton held its own against Maryland as it outshot the Terps three-to-two over the first 45 minutes. 

The Bearcats were consistently able to move the ball into the attacking third but the Maryland backline stood strong and thwarted their attacks. The Binghamton attackers were ultimately unable to slot the final pass or break down the Terps’ defenders on the dribble. 

Maryland looked out of sorts offensively in the first half. The Terps struggled to connect passes in the final third as there were numerous moments of miss-hit passes causing a loss of possession just as the offensive looked to be gaining momentum going forward. 

The Terps had their first real chance of the game in the 43rd minute when a through ball was played in to forward Kelsey Smith, but the sophomore wasn’t quite able to get a decisive touch on the ball before Williams snatched it up. 

Maryland came out with far more attacking ambition to start the second half. Madison Krakower registered the first shot on goal in the 48th minute with a slow roller from the left side of the box that was easily saved by Williams. 

Maryland outshot the Bearcats ten-to-three in the second half and controlled more of the possession throughout the final 45 minutes.

The Terps created a slightly better chance in the 59th minute when Morales fired a shot from inside the box, but a parry from Williams kept the match scoreless. Maryland had another opportunity in the 65th minute, but Smith’s shot from the top of the box just missed wide right. 

The Bearcats had a good opportunity in the 70th minute from just outside the box but Lauren Clark sent her shot well over the goal. 

Binghamton faced a tense moment in the 73rd minute when the ball bounced around in the penalty box following a Maryland corner and required a goal line clearance from the Bearcats to keep the game scoreless.

Emma Colling attempted the first shot on target for Binghamton in the 80th minute, but it was fired right at the Maryland goalkeeper. 

The Terps finally caught a break in the 82nd minute when they were awarded a penalty kick after a shot from far outside the box hit the outstretched hand of Bearcats defender Olivia McKnight.

Morales calmly stepped up to the stop and buried the penalty in the back of the net to give Maryland the lead, and ultimately, the win.

“We walk about that championship mentality and Ava’s grown every single day with that,” coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer said. 

Maryland will start Big Ten play on Friday on the road against Penn State. 

“You have to battle,” Nemzer said. “There’s no easy games in the Big Ten, and I think that mentality, we have to learn that very quickly.