Preview: Maryland women’s soccer vs. Michigan State

Maryland women’s soccer (3-3-5, 0-2-1 Big Ten) travels back out on the road on Thursday following a two-match homestand to take on Michigan State (7-2-2, 2-0-1 Big Ten). The meeting will be its first of back-to-back away contests.

The Terps are still searching for their first conference win after suffering a devastating 1-0 loss to Ohio State last time out. The Buckeyes’ lone goal occurred in the final minute.

Maryland’s offense has yet to find its rhythm this season. The Terps are last in the Big Ten in goals scored, only netting nine so far. They are the only school in the conference averaging less than one goal a game. 

“I think we got to just continue to focus on the details and habits,” coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer said. 

Ava Morales holds the slight team-lead in goals (3), with Lisa McIntyre (2) and Catherine DeRosa (2) as the only other players to score more than one goal on the season. Maryland’s well has run especially dry over the last three matches, with the Terps still searching for their first goal in conference play. 

“We’re just going to have to continue to give confidence to our forwards,” DeRosa said. “They have a very big challenge on their plate and I expect them to be extremely locked in. 

One adjustment that Nemzer made to the squad last match was playing the superb freshman Kennedy Bell higher up on the pitch from her usual position of outside back in an attempt to inject some energy into the attack. 

Nemzer said the change could be something that carries on into future outings. 

“I felt like we have some really special attacking players, and what we needed to do was get them higher up the field,” Nemzer said.

One reliable spot for Maryland all-season long has been the goalkeeper position. Liz Beardsley has played every minute in goal as an anchor in the back with 34 saves and six shutouts, the most for the program since 2014. She’ll face a Michigan State offense that’s scored the third-most (27) goals of any school in the conference.

The hot-handed Spartans come into the match undefeated in their last five games, looking to continue their strong start to Big Ten play following a 1-1 draw with Ohio State, 1-1 and a pair of road wins over Minnesota and Wisconsin. Michigan State is one of just three unbeaten Big Ten schools in conference play. 

The Spartans’ electric offense is spearheaded by freshman standout Bella Najera. Najera leads the group with five goals and has scored in four of the last five matches, including the game-winner against Wisconsin. 

Other key players offensively for Michigan State are Emerson Sargeant and Justina Gaynor. Gaynor is third in the Big Ten with six assists, and Sargeant was last week’s Big Ten Offensive Player of the week. 

The Spartans hold a slight all-time advantage over the Terps with a 3-2-3 record. 

“We got to be 1-0 after Michigan State and that’s got to be the mentality,” Nemzer said. “I don’t want to focus on the past, I want to focus on the future and how we get better.”

Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. on Thursday at the DeMartin Soccer Complex in East Lansing.