Photo by Rose Fernandes/ Maryland Terrapins. Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.
With over 11 minutes remaining in the second half, Maryland women’s soccer had the opportunity to stun Michigan.
The Terps had previously trailed 4-0 but tallied three goals in under 12 minutes. But the Wolverines tightened up defensively and bled out the game’s final minute on Maryland’s half of the field.
Maryland was unable to mount an impressive second-half comeback, falling 4-3 to Michigan Thursday night at Ludwig Field in College Park.
“I think if we win this game, we’re very much back in the hunt and back in the mix for the postseason,” head coach Michael Marchiano said. “The team’s disappointed… this is a big game, and we lost.”
The Wolverines (6-7-3, 3-3-3 Big Ten) started quickly, getting a goal from senior midfielder Vickie Jones less than three minutes into the match. The Terps (6-10, 2-7 Big Ten) have struggled this season when playing from behind, sporting a 1-8 record when their opponents score first.
The remainder of the first half was fairly even. Both teams had opportunities to score, but neither team seemed to have a sense of urgency. Maryland particularly seemed to be moving very lethargically, with poor spacing and little aggression.
Goalkeeper Faith Luckey entered the match coming off a career-high 10-save performance against Nebraska. But the redshirt sophomore had a quiet night against the Michigan attack, recording two saves in the first half and finishing the game with three.
The Terps were 0-6 when trailing at halftime, and the deficit did not get any easier to surmount for the Terps. Michigan scored two goals in the first 70 seconds of the second half, the first by sophomore forward Elle Ervin and the second by senior midfielder Jenna Lang.
The Wolverines added a goal in the 66th minute on a nifty header by forward Gabrielle Prych, giving them a 4-0 advantage.
The Terps notched their first goal less than two minutes later on a shot from redshirt junior forward Kelsey Smith that sailed into the upper right-hand corner of the goal. For Smith, the goal was her team-leading fifth goal of the year.
“There was still like a good amount of time left, so I knew we could get something out of it,” Smith said. “I’m glad that I was able to get the first goal to help us start that momentum.”
But Smith’s team lead would not last long as senior midfielder Ava Morales notched her fifth goal of the season on a curving shot away from Michigan senior goalkeeper Sophie Homan. The goal cut the Wolverines’ lead in half and gave life to the fans at Ludwig Field.
But the Terps weren’t finished. In the 79th minute, redshirt freshman forward Gemma Davitian capitalized on a missed shot by Smith that fell out of Homan’s hands, cutting the deficit to 4-3.
While Davitian and junior forward/midfielder Lisa McIntyre each had chances to tie the game late, the Terps’ comeback ultimately fell just short, as Michigan secured a 4-3 win.
“The team is hurting,” Marchiano said. “I think they’re disappointed that we dug ourselves a hole tonight.”
The Terps will continue their homestand on Sunday, when they host Ohio State at 12 p.m.
