Against Rutgers on Friday, Maryland women’s soccer allowed 31 shots and 17 shots on goal, 20 more than they generated.
But as the final buzzer sounded, the Terps embraced in celebration as their season came to an end.
Led by a brace from Jolie Farmer and defensive miscues from Rutgers, the Terps made 16 saves and scored a season-high three goals, beating the Scarlet Knights, 3-2, to end the season on a high note.
Both teams’ offenses found shots early in a game that felt like a firefight from the beginning.
Within the first seven minutes, Maryland and Rutgers had three shots each, while the Scarlet Knights had two shots on goal.
However, the first big play of the game came from a defensive error.
Maryland’s first shot on goal came in the eighth minute, after an errant Lindsey Hailey pass gave Jolie Farmer the ball right in front of the net. Farmer’s shot went through Olivia Bodmer’s legs and into the back of the net to give the Terps the early lead.
Rutgers nearly evened the score in the 21st minute, but Ashley Baran’s shot just missed, rolling wide right. The Terps’ defense gave Baran plenty of space, but she could not make them pay.
Baran was the main creator of offense for the Scarlet Knights, with three shots in the first half alone. Her lone shot on goal came in the sixth minute, but Faith Luckey was able to make the save.
Rutgers’ offense continued to take control of the game and again nearly scored in the 28th minute. Riley McGlinn fired a pass down into the box to Amanda Thornton, but Mia Mitchell stonewalled the attempt.
A failed clearance left the door open for the Scarlet Knights. McGlinn fired a shot for the second-chance look, but Luckey made the save.
Luckey came into the matchup off two excellent performances, and in the first half, the momentum was evident. Luckey made nine first-half saves, including two saves stymying McGlinn and Thornton.
The Terps’ defense struggled to limit shots throughout the first half, as Rutgers launched 18 attempts. Seven different Scarlet Knights took shots in the first half, but the silver lining for Maryland’s backline was that Lillia Calvert was limited to just one.
Calvert led Rutgers in both goals and assists this season, but the Terps’ defense mitigated her impact early.
While Rutgers’ attack took control, another defensive mistake from the Scarlet Knights would allow the Terps to double their lead. In the 39th minute, Sophia Stiles was called for a handball in the box, and Mitchell buried the ensuing penalty kick for her first career goal.
Coming out of halftime, the script remained the same.
In the 52nd minute, Farmer received the ball behind the defense, and with just Bodmer to beat, she dribbled around Rutgers’ netminder and fired the ball into the open goal for her brace.
Farmer hadn’t scored since the third game of the season, but her two scores stamped a team-high six goals on the season.
Maryland’s defense continued to withstand a barrage of shots from the Scarlet Knights, but in the 57th minute, Mitchell was called for a foul in the box. Calvert stepped up to take the penalty, and Luckey guessed wrong, as Calvert slotted the ball into the net to end the shutout.
After a slow start to the second half, the goal sparked the Rutgers offense. The Scarlet Knights continued to apply pressure on Maryland’s defense.
That pressure generated another set piece in a dangerous position, as Morgan Shannon was called for a handball just outside the box. Rutgers came up empty-handed after Hailey’s shot sailed off target.
In the 77th minute, it was Luckey who came through again for Maryland. Luckey saved a shot from an open Baran and then made another in short succession that brought her final tally to 13 saves,
Meredith Fisher checked into the game in the 79th minute and was immediately thrust into action. Fisher made her first save on a point-blank shot from Thornton, then blocked the follow-up.
After Fisher cleared the threat, Rutgers came right back down with more offensive pressure. Julia Joseph crossed a pass into the box, and a misplay by Paige Foye led to McGlinn cutting the lead to just one.
Ultimately, the Scarlet Knights’ run would come up just short. Maryland’s defense did enough to hold onto the lead.
Three things to know
1. Farmer stamped her best season yet. The 2026 season had already been a career year for Farmer, who had yet to tally a collegiate point entering her redshirt sophomore campaign. Farmer emerged for the Terps and finished the season with six goals and three assists, both team highs.
2. Goalkeeping masterclass. Luckey made a career-high 13 saves and played her best game of the season in Maryland’s final contest. Luckey made life difficult for every Rutgers attacker, and it did not get any easier when Fisher took her place between the pipes. Fisher closed out the game strong, and led to Terps’ defense to close out the game in front.
3. Let the offseason begin. Head coach Michael Marchiano will need to continue the momentum of Maryland’s final five games of the season, when it went 2-2-1. In the modern age of the transfer portal, Marchiano will have much to manage to create a roster that can build on the 2026 season’s promising finish.
