As Maryland women’s soccer took the field following its Senior Day festivities, the energy from the celebration carried right onto the field when the Terps scored to take an early lead.
That advantage held for over 70 minutes of play until Binghamton equalized late, but the magic for Maryland was not done. After a last-minute review gave the Terps a penalty, senior Peyton Bernard stepped up in the 90th minute and buried it to give Maryland a 2-1 win.
“I saw that there was 45 seconds left and I was like,
I have to make this,” Bernard said. “I worked so hard this game … this is the easiest part of it. Just hit it, be calm, cool, collected, and I did it.”
Maryland’s offense came out of the gate blazing and immediately pressured the Binghamton backline right off the opening kickoff.
Abigail Stager and Bernard got the Terps’ attack going with crisp passing and dribbling that Maryland hasn’t had in recent games.
The promising start on offense paid immediate dividends.
In just the second minute, Mckinley Heaven dribbled into open space and fired a shot past Bearcats goalkeeper Rebecca Kessler. Heaven’s goal snapped Maryland’s two-game scoreless streak.
Maryland had another huge opportunity when Bernard received a pass in open space inside the box. Despite having only the goalkeeper ahead of her, Bernard took too much time to set herself up and failed to get off a shot.
While the offense for the Terps started early, the game quickly turned into a defensive battle between both teams.
The goal from Heaven was the only shot on goal Maryland mustered in the first half, with just three total shots.
The Terps have shown some inconsistency on offense throughout the season, and that issue reared its head again with long stretches of poor attacking play.
Maryland had just four shots on goal, and the connection between midfield and the forwards gave the Terps problems as they tried to build attacking chances up the field.
“If we are going to create more chances, we need to win more duels higher up the field,” head coach Michael Marchiano said. “I think the positive is that, in the beginning of the season we’re talking about Jolie Farmer being the only one scoring goals for our team, and now you’ve got Ella Petry, you’ve got Mckinley Heaven, you’ve got Peyton Bernard chipping in.”
On the other side of the ball, Maryland’s defense prevented the Bearcats from creating many good opportunities. After struggling to prevent breakdowns in the backline, the Terps held strong throughout the first half.
But that would be tested right out of the break, when Binghamton immediately had two great chances.
In the 48th minute, Megan Baker had a huge opportunity on a header, but Luckey made the critical save to keep the lead. Maryland’s offense had its own chances, but neither Stager nor Bernard could beat Kessler.
Luckey was not needed often, but she came through when necessary for Maryland. The senior made two saves on the only shots on goal she faced in just under 60 minutes of play.
After the Terps’ defense held strong for much of the game, the Bearcats finally broke through. In the 75th minute, Chelsea Donaldson found open space on the left side of the box, firing a shot past Meredith Fisher, who subbed in for Luckey midway through the second half.
The Terps’ defense held Binghamton to just four shots throughout the game and only three shots on goal, but a late miscue kept Maryland from earning its second shutout of the season.
Despite giving up the late goal, the Terps’ defense looked much improved from their recent performances. Maryland allowed less open room for opposing forwards to operate, and costly breakdowns were held to a minimum.
“I think in order to defend well you need to be prepared as an individual to fight and try to win your duels,” Marchiano said. “So there were glimpses of it, and I’m happy that we put in an organized and hard defensive shift today.”
Maryland will now head into Big Ten play with some momentum after an emotional win to close nonconference play.
Three things to know
- Maryland has found new attacking options. After starting the season as the Jolie Farmer show, the Terps have now gotten contributions from multiple different players on offense. If Heaven, Stager, Bernard and Farmer can all play off of each other to maximize their efficiency, Maryland’s offense could find success even against tougher competition.
- Defensive depth will be tested. After Taryn Raibon went down with an injury against Navy, Ava Paolini was inserted back into the starting lineup against Binghamton. Early in the first half, Paolini collided with a Bearcat player in the box and missed some time during the game. Despite Paolini eventually returning, the Terps could struggle with depth at the fullback position if she is not fully healthy.
- Big Ten play is on the way. The win against the Bearcats marks the end of nonconference play for Maryland. With Big Ten play opening Thursday, the Terps will have to step up their level to compete with some of the best teams in the country.
