Maryland women’s soccer trailed Old Dominion by one goal at halftime, but seemingly all the momentum had been with the Terps. However, Maryland’s full control to close the first half quickly dissipated out of the break.
In the 51st minute, Hannah Morgan connected on a cross and put her shot past goalie Faith Luckey to double the Monarchs’ lead.
Morgan’s goal stifled the Terps’ comeback run before it even started, and the Monarchs cruised for the remainder of the contest. Maryland suffered its first
home loss of the season, 2-0.
Right out of the gate, offense did not come easily for Maryland. The Terps struggled to gain possession in dangerous positions, and Old Dominion’s defenders swarmed the ball.
The possession advantage for the Monarchs resulted in a multitude of chances early in the game. Old Dominion had four corners in the first 20 minutes of play and relentlessly swung passes into the box.
Endless pressure on attack for the Monarchs would ultimately pay its dividends. Madison Telmer found open space in the Terps’ defense and curved a shot around Luckey to give Old Dominion a well-earned lead in the 20th minute.
“Small moments in the game are what decide the scoreline and the result,” head coach Michael Marchiano said. “On the first goal… we don’t defend the throw and attract the runner, and [Telmer] hits a lobbing ball to the back post, and I think that’s just how games are going to be decided.”
Despite the blazing start, the Monarchs’ relentless pressure subsided after the goal. The Terps’ defense started to find their footing and allowed just three shots through the first half.
On the other side of the ball, Maryland’s offense found some opportunities late in the first half, but the Terps could not capitalize on their chances.
Gemma Davitian had a breakaway in the 34th minute, but Old Dominion goalkeeper Emily Earles forced Davitian to fire the ball wide.
Minutes later, McKinley Heaven had another huge chance of her own, as she launched a shot from outside the box. But Earles’ outstretched hand tipped the ball over the crossbar for a phenomenal save.
Heaven was not done creating offense for Maryland, drawing a free kick in a dangerous position in the 44th minute. But again, the Terps came up empty.
Despite a nine-shot first half, Maryland failed to capitalize on what would be its best opportunity of the game.
The Terps’ offense went stone cold in the second half, marking the second straight game Maryland has struggled mightily on that side of the ball.
Abigail Stager and Heaven both heavily pressured the Monarchs’ defense late in the first half, but neither got anything going following halftime.
“I think towards the end of the first half there were some positive contributions off the bench that allowed our performance level to elevate,” Marchiano said. “And I think in the second half… we certainly didn’t have the same level.”
Maryland’s leading goalscorer, Jolie Farmer, subbed in for the second half after spending the first 45 minutes on the bench. But the Terps continued to struggle, even with Farmer on the field. Without any consistent possession on offense, Farmer and Heaven rarely saw the ball.
Sloppy passing also plagued Maryland’s offense, with multiple giveaways stunting attempts at building any level of consistent attacking pressure.
The Terps attempted just two shots in the second half, with zero shots on goal.
Old Dominion cruised on both sides of the ball, holding onto possession and neutralizing the Terps’ attack before they could create any big chances.
The shutout marks the second straight game the Terps have failed to score. With Big Ten play approaching, Maryland will need to find ways to score goals if it wants to compete with its conference opponents.
Three things to know
1. Maryland’s offensive consistency is a huge problem. The Terps have shown moments of offensive ability throughout the season, including the closing moments of the first half against Old Dominion. However, inconsistency is the larger story of Maryland’s season so far. Excluding the final six minutes of the first half, the Terps did not have a shot on goal in the other 84 minutes of play.
2. Lapses in defense put the Terps too far behind. Despite Old Dominion attempting just six total shots, they capitalized on multiple breakdowns in Maryland’s defense. Thursday marked the second game in a row where the Terps outshot their opponent but lost by multiple goals.
3. Midfield play burns the Terps again. Maryland’s midfield struggled mightily in its last game against Navy, and that came back to haunt the Terps again. Bad passing and failure to control the game in the middle of the field give the forwards and defenders less room for error, something Maryland can’t afford.
