Preview: Maryland women’s soccer looks to get back in win column against Saint Joseph’s

After dropping its first match of the season last time out, Maryland women’s soccer (1-1-4) looks to bounce back against Saint Joseph’s (1-5-1) on Sunday.

The Terps’ first true stumble of the season came against No. 24 Wake Forest on Thursday. In a game where Maryland entered with momentum for the first time this season, the Terps followed up their first victory of the season with a 1-0 shutout loss.

Maryland reverted back to its old habits against Wake Forest by letting its opponent strike first, only this time they were unable to retaliate in the closing minutes.

The matchup against the Demon Deacons was a defensive battle, as the first shot attempt of the game from either side didn’t come until the 23nd minute. It took until the 66th minute for the Demon Deacons to capitalize, when midfielder Giovanna DeMarco broke the scoreless battle.

The Maryland defense continued to click for the most part, as the Terps held Wake Forest to a season-low 10 shots.

“We tried to make other people be playmakers and we focused a lot on being organized defensively. I thought they did that very well,” coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer said. “They had shots but they were from a distance. I thought the team gave a great effort, they worked hard and they stuck to the game plan.”

Forward Alina Stahl has been a key force in Maryland’s offense in the early stages of its 2022 campaign. Stahl leads the Terps in goals (three), points (eight), and is tied in assists (two).

Forward Alyssa Poarch has been arguably the most aggressive Terp, leading the team in shots (19) by eight.

Maryland goalkeeper Madeline Smith has played well this season, despite the Terps having just one win. Smith has yet to allow more than one goal in a match.

The Terps will continue their lengthy homestand against the Hawks, who enter following a loss against Hofstra on Thursday.

Saint Joseph’s suffered a similar defeat to the Terps, as both teams look to rebound from 1-0 defeats.

The Hawks, too, let their opponent find the net first. Hofstra forward Ellen Halseth dealt the blow in the 60th minute. Their defeat came with no shortage of shots, as the Hawks racked up seven compared to the Pride’s nine. 

Saint Joseph’s managed to even the score. Midfielder Natalie Nevins and forward Jiselle Daniels combined for five of their Hawks’ total shots.

Nevins and junior Sam Dumont are tied for the team lead in goals (two). Nevins (14), Daniels (13), and Dumont (12) are top-three on the Hawks in shots.

Saint Joseph’s goalkeeper Katie Cappelletti has struggled in goal for the Hawks this season. Cappelletti has a save percentage of just .630, and has allowed as high as five goals in a match.

The match on Sunday will start at 1 p.m. and will take place at Ludwig Field in College Park.