The Maryland Terrapins women’s soccer team’s season will come to an end on Wednesday night in West Lafayette as the Terps will take on Purdue (9-6-2, 4-4-2).
With the way the Big Ten tournament works, only the top eight teams advance to the postseason. This will most likely be Maryland’s final game in 2017 as they currently are last in the conference.
Although the conference record may not reflect it, this has been an impressive season for the Terps (7-7-3, 1-7-2). After only winning 3 games in 2016, the team started off this season 6-0-1 in nonconference play, already doubling their previous win total
The Big Ten schedule was not as friendly to the Terps, as they are 1-7-2 in conference play and just halted a five game losing streak with a 0-0 tie against Michigan State. However, against some of the toughest competition in the country, this young Terps team is continuing to show improvement.
Against Purdue on Wednesday night, the Terps will have a chance to end their season on a high note by doing something they have not done since September 22, win.
To pull of the victory, Maryland will need to somehow find some offense. Plagued by the injury bug that took away the team’s two leading scorers in senior Chelsea Jackson and freshman Mikayla Dayes, the Terps’ scoreless drought now sits at 474 minutes.
There is promise that the offense will break through soon, as their six shots on goal against Michigan State was one of their highest totals of the season. Unfortunately for the Terps, the Purdue defense will not make things much easier.
Led by freshman goalie Katie Lucie, the Boilermakers on average only allow 1.2 goals per contest. Purdue has also shut out its opponent seven times in 2017.
The team also has a pretty impressive offense with six players who have scored multiple goals. Redshirt senior forward Maddy Williams is the standout among them as she has 12 goals this year, five more than the next leading scorer, senior midfielder Andrea Petrina.
Maryland redshirt junior goalie Rachel Egyed will have her hands full with the Boilermakers offense, but it’s nothing she cannot handle. Although the stats on paper may not always reflect it, Egyed has had a tremendous 2017 campaign. With five shutouts and countless highlight reel saves, the Terps’ goalkeeper has been the backbone of the defense all season long.
For Purdue, this matchup comes as a must win. The Boilermakers currently hold the eighth spot in the conference with Michigan only trailing them by half a game. If the team wants to make it to the tournament, they will have to win on Wednesday night.
The game will take place at 7 p.m.
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