A problem for the Maryland Terrapins women’s soccer team has been the concession of early goals. That problem showed itself again on Thursday night as an early Ohio State goal put the Buckeyes ahead and they never looked back as they cruised to a 2-0 victory.
That early goal came in the 15 minute off the foot of senior forward Eleanor Gabriel, her first score of the season. Gabriel would add a second goal in the 71 minute to double the Buckeyes lead.
Although the Maryland defense once again allowed multiple goals, they showed some promise on defense. The Terps were able to hold Ohio State scoreless for long stretches of time and limited the Buckeyes to only four shots on goal.
Redshirt junior goalie Rachel Egyed also had some incredibly impressive saves despite allowing two scores.
Much like the weather in College Park, the Maryland offense remained cold. The Terps have now been shutout in three consecutive contests and have only scored one goal in their last 360 minutes of play.
A struggling Terps offense combined with a once again dominant Ohio State defense made the shutout seem not too out of the ordinary. Maryland was only able to muster one shot on goal and three total shots. OSU is just the most recent stingy defense the Terps have had to face.
“In the Big Ten, just in general, there is a very high level of play,” said junior Jarena Harmon about the tough defenses they have faced. “I think defensively teams are doing well.”
The Buckeyes have now gone six games without allowing a goal as they continue to roll in Big Ten play. Sitting at 12-2-1, and 7-1 in the Big Ten, they will now prepare for a crucial matchup against Rutgers.
As for Maryland, conference play has continued to be their achilles heal. After only winning one conference game in 2016, the Terps have a 1-6-1 Big Ten record and are 7-6-2 overall.
However, there are positives to take away from playing a top level team close.
“I can clearly we see that we made great strides from our last weekend,” said Head Coach Ray Leone who was happy with the toughness his team showed. “They played really well tonight against a top level team.”
The Terps will be back in action on Sunday when they take on Penn State at 1 p.m. in College Park.
- Maryland volleyball swept by Indiana in second game of weekend homestand - October 7, 2023
- No. 8 Maryland field hockey falls to No. 6 Rutgers in penalty shootout, 3-2 - September 28, 2023
- Maryland women’s soccer stymied by No. 6 Penn State, 4-0 - September 15, 2023
