Maryland women’s soccer had its way with Saint Francis Sunday evening. The astonishing offensive output included two goals each from captain Kelsey Smith and forward Lisa Mcintyre as the Terp offense logged a staggering 26 shots.
This dominance served as the contest’s overarching theme, as Maryland routed the Red Flash, 5-0.
Saint Francis attacked early, with a cross barely cut off by Maryland goalkeeper Faith Luckey. But the tides turned quickly, as the Terps regained possession. Peyton Bernard’s
shot was deflected and Delaney DeMartino’s shot was barely scooped by goalkeeper Emma Sawich.
Meanwhile, Smith was able to continue her offensive onslaught, often beating her matchup with sheer quickness and agility. In the 11th minute, Bernard dribbled through multiple defenders and took a low shot that was again saved by Sawich.
But Sawich’s luck soon ran out. Maryland took the lead, 1-0, in the 15th minute with a high cross by Bernard into Smith. Her header deflected directly to junior Lisa McIntyre, who tapped in the goal.
The Terps’ momentum briefly stalled, and they allowed the Red Flash to penetrate their defense. Maridza Desir took a dangerous shot on goal that barely ricocheted off the left post and neutralized Saint Francis’ attack.
The Terps then reclaimed control with a pair of shots by Bernard; one sailed wide left and the other banged the right post. But Maryland’s barrage did not let up, as Smith placed a shot perfectly past a diving Sawich to double Maryland’s lead. Assists were credited to McIntyre and DeMartino.
Bernard went down with an apparent leg injury in the 31st minute and was carted off the field, unable to put any weight on her right leg. Bernard had already logged a career-high four shots and was replaced by sophomore Ellie Eggland.
This did not stifle the Terps’ offense, however, as a shot by Ava Morales was saved, resulting in a corner kick. Eggland’s corner crossed brilliantly into the six-yard box and was rifled into the goal by Smith for her second score of the half.
The Red Flash backline was completely outmatched the entire first half, getting outshot 16-1 by the Terps. The score remained 3-0 at the half.
Maryland began its second half aggressively. McIntyre went on a quick sideline run but ran out of real estate, and her shot dribbled into the hands of Sawich. Sophomore Gemma Davitian went on a run of her own in the 50th minute, piercing the Red Flash backline and finding the left side of the net for her first goal of her collegiate career.
Shortly after, Alyssa Abramson went down with an ankle tweak and was subbed for sophomore Ella Bulava.
Eggland continued her aggressive shotmaking, and a pair of long-range looks were denied by the keeper. Just after, McIntyre netted her second goal off a high-lofted pass from Mia Mitchell.
Morales was able to get her reps in, too, with a pair of shots being denied at the hands of the tiring Sawich.
Like Maryland’s last matchup against Lehigh, virtually all starters were removed from the pitch, allowing many underclassmen to gain valuable minutes. Sophomore Kate Hawley made a late charge towards the goal and just missed the net as Sawich advanced towards her.
Otherwise, the second half was relatively uneventful, as lightning within 10 miles ended the match with 4:16 remaining on the clock.
After its victory, Maryland will face the UMBC Retrievers on Aug. 21. Coach Michael Marchiano had a clear mission for the Terps heading into the rest of the season.
“Its good to be together when things are going well,” said Marchiano. “We need to remain together when we face some adversities. The group has had a positive start and I think that’s nothing more than the hard work the group has put together right now.”
Three things to know
1. Maryland is 2-0. This marks the first time the team has remained undefeated through two matches since the 2019 season. With the Terps showing significant signs of improvement, they will look to build this momentum further before conference play.
2. Smith and McIntyre overwhelm offensively. With the pair scoring five points each, this offensive duo looked unstoppable today. The Red Flash simply had no answers for Smith’s speed or McIntyre’s power. Both must continue to dominate for Maryland to continue its win streak.
3. Payton Bernard goes down. Bernard recorded a personal record-four shots in just the first half and looked poised to find the net prior to her right knee injury. A cornerstone in the Maryland midfield, the team will hope for her quick return as its overall offensive production could struggle without her.
