Stuck in a scoreless affair with just under five minutes remaining, forward Alyssa Poarch collected the ball at centerfield, ready to commence yet another Maryland campaign upfield.
Poarch found forward Alina Stahl racing ahead, and Stahl, facing down a two-on-one situation, powered through two Indiana defenders to put up her third shot of the night, which finally found the back of the net.
The shot marked the Terps’ 13th the night in a grueling match that was evenly played from the opening kick, with the Teps looking to finish out their underwhelming season with dignity.
Stahl’s goal in the 86th minute was all Maryland women’s soccer needed to down Indiana, 1-0.
The Terps entered their penultimate match looking to end a lengthy losing streak, having dropped their last seven. The Hoosiers had lost six straight themselves before tying their most recent match against Purdue, but entered winless in conference play, while Maryland still boasts its shocking win over Michigan to kick off Big Ten action.
Maryland set the tone from the jump, pressuring the Indiana defense with under two minutes off the clock with a shot from Poarch. The kick flew above the crossbar, but the Terps established that they were done letting their opponent set the pace for them.
The Terps had considerably more success penetrating the Hoosier defense as opposed to its last time out against Minnesota, with the Terps’ four shots in the first 30 minutes passing Sunday’s total.
The Hoosiers, however, made sure to match Maryland’s aggression. They piled up shot attempts early themselves, forcing goalkeeper Maddy Smith into four saves in the first 20 minutes.
Both teams took some time to get in the swing of things, but the shot opportunities soon dried up as the defense ramped up. Stagnant offense defined the second half of the first period, as Indiana held a 6:4 shot advantage through the first 45 minutes.
Maryland continued its unfortunate trend of attempting shots from outside of the box and letting its opponent take more shots on goal. Fifteen minutes into the second half, the Terps recorded six shots, two within range of goal, while four of Indiana’s six shots registered from closer range, including the shot from centerfield by defender Camille Hamm as time expired to end the first half.
Maryland and Indiana spent much of the second half exchanging trips into one another’s territory, but the defenses continued to stand pat. Midfielder Juliana Lynch, despite collecting yet another yellow card, was a bright spot on offense, making smart passes to teammates downfield that just didn’t connect.
At 85:13, Poarch got the ball at midfield, looking ahead and quickly dishing to Stahl, who was already well ahead of the pack. Stahl finally broke through for the Terps, and her fifth goal of the season ultimately was the match-winner, as the Terps secured the road win, 1-0.
The win for Maryland was its first over Indiana since 1994, and snapped a seven-match losing streak.
Seven different Terps took shots to combine for 13 on the night, with Indiana not far behind as seven of its own combined for nine shots. Poarch and Stahl led the way for Maryland, with Stahl finally capitalizing late in the match and Poarch’s four tries adding to her team-high 40 shots.
Maryland will look to continue its momentum and wrap up the season on a high note its next time out against Purdue on Sunday.
- Lackluster end of season results in underwhelming campaign for Maryland women’s soccer - November 1, 2022
- Maryland women’s soccer ends season with victory over Purdue, 3-1 - October 23, 2022
- Preview: Maryland women’s soccer looks to end season on bright note against Purdue - October 23, 2022
