The Terps begin their final road trip of the season.
Maryland women’s soccer extended its losing streak to four games on Saturday when it fell to Rutgers, 1-0.
While the Terps held strong for most of the game despite being outshot, 19-5, the dam finally broke when midfielder Catherine DeRosa committed a poorly timed foul in the 84th minute. Rutgers forward Kylie Daigle then stepped up and fired the ball past goaltender Liz Beardsley to ensure Maryland’s fifth conference defeat of the season.
With just four games left, the Terps will begin their last away trip of the season when they take on Nebraska.
Thursday’s game will begin at 8 p.m. and be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-2-3, 3-1-2 Big Ten)
2022 record: 8-7-5 (5-3-2 Big Ten)
Head coach John Walker has spent nearly three decades in Lincoln, leading Nebraska to eight appearances in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. This year, the Cornhuskers are well on their way to securing a spot in the Big Ten tournament for the second straight season.
Nebraska started the season 8-0-1, and its only two losses have come against ranked opponents in Penn State and Saint Louis.
Players to watch
Eleanor Dale, senior forward, No. 9 — Dale has been one of the best strikers in the country this season, leading the nation with 19 goals — six of which were game-winners. As well, her 38 shots on goal rank second in the country. The 2022 All-Big Ten third-team selection also has three assists.
Sarah Weber, junior forward, No. 42 — Weber has done it all for the Cornhuskers this season, managing seven goals and six assists. She sits behind only Dale in the conference with 27 shots on goal.
Florence Belzile, junior midfielder/forward, No. 10 — Belzile has been Nebraska’s top facilitator this season, as her nine assists rank seventh in Division I.
Strength
Offensive pressure. Nebraska’s offense is one of the best in the country. The Cornhuskers lead the conference in shots, goals and assists, both in totals and average. Maryland’s defense, which has been inconsistent in conference play, has an enormous challenge on tap.
Weakness
Goals against. While Nebraska’s offense is dominant, its defense has not reached the same level. The Cornhuskers rank 10th in the Big Ten in goals allowed per game (1.21).
Three things to watch
1. Will Maryland’s scoring drought come to an end? The Terps are not only winless in conference play, they are also scoreless. With four games remaining in the season, time is running out for them to find any sort of offensive momentum.
2. Will Nemzer make more changes? Over the past few games, Maryland head coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer made numerous changes to the formation of her team. One notable move was putting defender Kennedy Bell into more of an attacking role.
With the team desperate to find a win, might there be more changes coming?
3. Can the defense keep it up in the first half? Maryland kept a clean sheet in the first half against Rutgers, and has only lost twice when doing so.