After three strikes, Maryland women’s soccer was out.
In the 16th minute, the Ducks were awarded a free kick. After receiving a lofted ball in the box, Giselle Fuentes Gonzalez’s shot trickled past Faith Luckey into the back of the net, but it was waved off after review.
Early in the second half, Shiloh Baird found the back of the net after a stretch of Oregon pressure, but Baird was ruled offside.
Finally, the third time Oregon found the back of the net, it would be too much for Maryland to overcome. The Terps’ quiet offense could not come back from Lauren Hunter’s beautiful goal as Maryland fell 1-0 for its second straight conference loss.
Coming out of the second half, the Terps had a huge opportunity. After a great run from Lisa McIntyre resulted in a dangerous set piece, Ary Oliver stepped up to take a free kick just steps outside the box.
Oliver’s shot went just over the crossbar, not requiring Kailey Kimball to move.
That was the story of Maryland’s offensive effort.
Despite ultimately struggling, midway through the first half, the Terps’ attack looked to show positive signs for the first time in Big Ten play.
McKinley Heaven and Peyton Bernard continued as the main engines of the Maryland offensive pressure, and both found success taking on Oregon defenders in open space.
After being one of the few bright spots against Washington, Lily Bane carried that momentum early. Bane had a solid look late in the first half, but her shot went well over the bar.
However, even with signs of improvement, Maryland could not generate high-quality shots.
While 13 shots from Maryland may have appeared a massive improvement from its previous form, Kimbell did not need to exert much energy to keep a clean sheet — she only made two saves.
The Terps had just one shot on goal in a half where they maintained a fair amount of offensive pressure. Much of that offensive pressure disappeared for the second half of play, and the Terps added just one more shot on goal.
The main pieces of Maryland’s early-game offense struggled to keep the same level of play throughout the contest.
None of Heaven’s four shots required Kimball to make a save, and her quality of chances decreased as the game went on. Bane and Bernard were non-factors during the second half despite the promise shown during the early stages of the game.
In the 86th minute, Bane received the ball near the box, but a poor pass led to the end of the Terps’ offensive possession.
The poor offensive play let down a Maryland defense that largely played a solid game, keeping the Terps in it despite the lack of attacking production.
Luckey came up with multiple saves in the closing minutes of the first half, including a phenomenal stop in the last minute before the break. She made three saves, only failing to save the shot from Hunter that was well-placed.
The Terps’ defense withstood another offensive barrage coming out of halftime, staving off multiple set pieces to keep Ducks off the board for over 70 minutes.
Ultimately, Maryland’s backline was given no room for error from its offense, and the Terps’ defensive unit couldn’t hold off for 90 minutes.
Maryland has now gone since its first game of the season without securing a shutout, a stat that pairs poorly with what has been a lackluster offense.
Three things to know
- Faith Luckey played well. Maryland’s goalkeeper has been one of the few bright spots during Big Ten play, making multiple impressive saves to give the Terps a chance. While allowing three goals in two games doesn’t exude positivity, it has taken perfect shots on all three to beat Luckey. The senior has given the Terps a chance to win, but they haven’t taken advantage.
- Where are the shots: part two. For the second straight game, Maryland’s offense has been shut out, and the lack of high-quality shots is a real concern. While both Washington and Oregon boast great defenses, the problem stems more from Maryland’s lack of capitalizing in the final third. The Terps got down the field in the first half, but still nothing came of it.
- Maryland finally gets to come home. A change of scenery could bode well and help move on from a couple of poor performances on the West Coast. The Terps will return home for three straight games at Ludwig Field, with six of their next seven games coming at home.
