Preview: Maryland women’s soccer vs. No. 21 Wisconsin

Maryland women’s soccer (3-8-5, 0-7-1 Big Ten) returns to Ludwig Field to face No. 21 Wisconsin (10-3-3, 5-2-1 Big Ten) on Thursday. 

“I’m excited to get back in Ludwig,” coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer said. “I feel like we play better soccer at home.” 

The Terps come into the match off a 5-0 loss to Iowa in Iowa City in their last contest. Nemzer said after the game her team needed to get back to competing and be more disciplined in their play. 

Maryland has lost six straight games and is still looking for its first Big Ten victory of the season. The Terps had come into the season hopeful to build off of last year when they won three conference games, but they currently sit in last place. 

The Terps have scored only nine goals, lowest in the conference, and allowed 29 goals, most in the conference. 

Injuries have been a major factor in Maryland’s struggles. Junior defender Halle Johnson has been in and out of the lineup dealing with an injury. She was able to return for limited minutes against Nebraska but was again forced to sit out the most recent match against Iowa. 

“Missing [Johnson] is a huge piece,” Nemzer said. “I think Halle’s just a leader for us. She organizes for us.” 

Freshman Kennedy Bell has been dealing with a leg injury recently. The outside back played only 63 minutes against Iowa, the least she has played all year. 

This season has been a learning experience for a squad that features 15 freshmen, many in key roles. Nemzer has been pleased by the growth but believes the team still has a long way to go. 

“There’s a lot of youth on this field right now,” Nemzer said. “We gotta use this as moments to learn and not use it as areas to make continuous mistakes.” 

Wisconsin comes into this match having just had a four game win streak snapped by a 1-0 loss to Ohio State. The Badgers currently sit fifth in the Big Ten.

Wisconsin is led offensively by senior midfielder Emma Jaskaniec. She has scored seven goals, tied for seventh most in the Big Ten, and added four assists. Senior midfielder Aryssa Mahrt has also played a major role with four goals and four assists. 

The Badgers boast one of the conference’s best defenses. They have only allowed 11 goals this season, fourth best in the Big Ten. 

Goalkeeper Erin McKinney has played a big role in their ability to keep teams off the board, making 45 saves and keeping six clean sheets. 

Maryland has never beaten Wisconsin as the Badgers hold a 5-0-2 advantage all-time. The teams last met in 2022 when Wisconsin was victorious, 2-1. 

The Terps are still looking for their first win over a ranked team since they defeated No. 20 Rutgers 2-1 in 2019. 

Nemzer wants to see fight from her team as they prepare for a difficult challenge. 

“At the end of the day, I can live with whatever the result is, but you gotta compete,” Nemzer said. 

Kickoff at Ludwig Field in College Park is set for 8 p.m. on Thursday.