Maryland women’s soccer took a much needed week-long break after an underwhelming 1-0 loss to James Madison Thursday. The Terps were unable to find the back of the net, only firing two shots the whole match.
Despite extensive second-half substitutions from head coach Michael Marchiano, positioning in the 18-yard box was a big struggle as many crosses from Maryland wingers failed to find a shooter.
This
week, the Terps will travel to Happy Valley to take on No. 8 Penn State in their first Big Ten matchup of the season. The Nittany Lions are coming off a dominant 3-0 win against Liberty and look to hand Maryland its third loss in a row.
The match will take place on Thursday at 6 p.m. and will stream on Big Ten Plus.
Penn State Nittany Lions (4-2-1, 0-0-0 Big Ten)
2024 Record: (15-7-3, 5-4-2 Big Ten)
Coming off an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearance in its 18th straight postseason, Penn State has solidified itself as one of the premier Division I soccer programs of the last decade. Much of the team’s success has been due to head coach Erica Dambach.
Dambach has led the Nittany Lions since 2007 and has since been the winningest coach in Big Ten history. She helped the Nittany Lions to their first NCAA championship in 2015 and looks to regain the title a decade later.
Players to watch
Kaitlyn MacBean, graduate forward, No. 14 — Starting every match this season, MacBean has shown pure domination and experience. MacBean has already unloaded 10 shots this campaign and will give any goalie a scare with her sheer volume and confidence.
Aubrey Kulpa, sophomore forward, No. 16 — Kulpa has broken onto the scene in 2025, with six goals and 13 points on the season already. She demonstrates poise in the box far beyond her years and looks to be a menace in the Big Ten for many years to come.
Mackenzie Gress, redshirt junior goalkeeper, No. 1 — With 18 saves on the season, Gress has easily stepped into her role at starting keeper. If Penn State’s stellar defense wasn’t enough, finding the net against Gress will be incredibly difficult with her .720 save percentage.
Strength
Goal differential. Penn State touts an impressive +8 goal differential this season, continually dominating weaker teams on the offensive end. Its strong backline regularly deprives its opponents of offensive chances for multiple minutes at a time. That defensive resilience allows the offense to be patient and intelligent in its shotmaking.
Weakness
Shot disparity. The Nittany Lions have been outshot this season, 68-92. They often look to be cautious and lack an aggressive approach on offense. This disparity can often lead to low-scoring bouts, such as a 1-1 draw against James Madison and a 0-1 loss to Virginia.
Three things to watch
1. Can Maryland succeed in-conference? After recent struggles, Maryland is itching for a bounce-back win. However, as Big Ten play includes tougher opponents, the Terps will need to make serious adjustments to adapt to conference powerhouses.
2. What will Marchiano do? In recent matches, offensive scheming that worked in earlier matches has failed to find the same success. Marchiano has attempted to fix this problem with frequent substitutions, but may need to try a different approach against a ranked opponent with immense depth.
3. Where are the shots? The Terps have only mustered 10 shots in their last two matches, much to do with faulty spacing and communication on offense. Maryland will need to significantly increase its shot output on the road against its toughest opponent yet.
