Maryland women’s soccer battles to 0-0 draw with VCU

Maryland women’s soccer and VCU were stuck in a defensive battle throughout the night. Then, the Terps’ defense experienced a frantic moment in the 85th minute.

A well placed Rams cross led to a Milica Bulatovic shot that looked destined to find the back of the net. But the ball struck the post and stayed out. 

Maryland (0-1-4) was able to survive a late VCU (1-2-2) push to claim a 0-0 draw in Richmond on Thursday.  

“I got all the patience in the world for this team because they work hard and they compete,” Maryland coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer said. “I’m hungrier and I’m working as hard as I’ve ever done before because this is what the team deserves. I have nothing negative to say about this team.”

The Terps outshot the Rams by four and also registered three more shots on goal. Still, VCU avoided its third loss of the season.

The match got off to a choppy start with both defenses breaking up play to disrupt the offenses’ flow.  

Shots were few and far between during the majority of the first half, and play was often confined to the middle third of the pitch as both sides struggled to connect passes. 

VCU managed to get off a few shots, but they were taken from afar and drifted off target. Maryland failed to register a shot through the first 38 minutes. 

“I challenged them to put 90 minutes together today,” Nemzer said. “In the first half, it wasn’t exactly going our way but we stuck together.”

Both sides started to pick up some steam towards the end of the first half. 

The Rams threatened first in the 37th minute with an ambitious shot from Aisha Maughan outside the box that was struck well, but a low save from Liz Beardsley kept the outing scoreless.

The Terps had their first big chance two minutes later when an Ava Morales shot forced VCU goalkeeper Allison Karpovich to parry the ball wide. 

The ball remained in play and found its way to an open Kelsey Smith sitting in the middle of the box, who squandered a golden opportunity by sailing the ball well over the goal. 

The game remained deadlocked at zero after one half of play. Then the intensity picked up as both teams began to find their rhythm. 

Maryland almost gifted VCU a goal in the 55th minute after Kendyl Sarver picked off a back pass and muscled her way past the last defender, but she failed to put the shot on target, keeping the Rams off the scoreboard.

The Terps started to control possession more and take charge of the game as the second half unfolded. Maryland registered 10 shots over the final 45 minutes and seemed a constant threat going forward.

“In the first half, we were just trying to look to connect, but in the second half, we looked to connect and go to goal and try and create goal scoring opportunities,” midfielder Lauren Wrigley said.  

The Terps failed to capitalize on another big opportunity in the 64th minute as Isabel DiPrima played an incisive pass to Lisa McIntyre to set up a wide open shot on goal. But the freshman couldn’t strike the ball cleanly and the shot fell wide.

“Obviously, you know, we’d love to finish those one-on-ones with the goalkeeper, but we created opportunities,” Nemzer said. 

Beardsley came to the Terps’ rescue in the 77th minute — continuing a scoreless match — when she snatched up a ball that had gotten over the Maryland backline’s heads before a VCU attacker was able to reach it. 

Bulatovic struck the woodwork once in the 85th minute and then again three minutes later after a powerful shot from a free kick. The rebound fell to Jordan Pieklo, but once again Beardsley came up big for another save.

The second half was particularly physical, and tensions started to eventually boil over towards the end of the match. 

“I give a lot of credit to VCU being a physical team, but I thought we matched that in the second half,” Nemzer said. 

However, despite numerous chances from both sides, neither one would find the finishing touch to make the difference in the end as the game ended scoreless. 

“I know that they’re a young team, but they are willing to learn. Once everything clicks, I know that we’re going to be a dangerous team,” Nemzer said. 

The Terps return home on Sunday to take on Towson.