Maryland women’s soccer vs. Penn State final score, with 3 things to know from the Terps’ 3-0 loss

Maryland women’s soccer (3-11-1, 1-6-0) dropped their fifth straight game Sunday, a 3-0 loss to No. 13 Penn State (9-2-3, 5-0-2).

Despite giving up just one less goal than Thursday, Maryland had a much better defensive performance. The back line did not give up close-range shots, and Penn State had to work for opportunities.

The Terps were a lot worse on set pieces, where Penn State scored all of their goals, with Brittany Basinger scoring her first two of the season and Elizabeth Ball scoring one.

Maryland struggled on offense with just four shots compared to 21 for Penn State. After getting good possession in the middle of the field but not finishing in the first half, the Terps struggled to maintain possession in the second half.

Despite being outshot 14-1 in the first half, Maryland’s defense brought more intensity than it did Thursday night. Hope Gouterman was the standout player on the back line, blocking three shots and putting a lot of pressure on the ball.

Penn State’s only goal of the first half came off a corner in the 13th minute, when Nickolette Driesse’s ball bounced around the box and Basinger put it in the back of the net.

In goal, Maryland head coach Ray Leone switched it up and gave Rachel Egyed the start. The redshirt sophomore is more aggressive in her decision making than Katelyn Jensen, and this was on display on Sunday.

In the 36th minute she came about 25 yards out of the box to stop a potential shot and it almost backfired on her, as Marissa Sheva put a shot wide. Less than a minute later, Egyed made a diving save on Rachel Friegang. Egyed went on to tie a career high with eight saves.

On offense, Maryland did a much better job possessing the ball but couldn’t get any looks in the box. The Terps only shot came in the 13th minute, when Jarena Harmon had her shot blocked.

Penn State dominated possession in the second half, but set pieces came back to bite Maryland again. Basinger scored again off a corner in the 60th minute, doubling Penn State’s lead.

Jarena Harmon had a great opportunity to cut the Nittany Lion’s lead in half in the 80th minute, but had a close range shot go off the right post.

Penn State put the game away for good three minutes later on another corner kick. This time the ball bounced around the box before Elizabeth Ball poked it into the net.

The Terps continue their season on Thursday when they travel to West Lafayette to take on Purdue.. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Three things to know

1. Set pieces were the difference: The Terps were stout on defense, except when it came to corner kicks. Penn State had just four corners, but three resulted in goals.
2. Hope Gouterman and Julia New were solid on defense: The senior and freshman both stepped up on the back line today. Each had arguably her best performance of the season, and despite giving up 21 shots, the duo made life difficult for the Nittany Lions.
3. Despite the loss, there were some positives: Although the team was shut out for the second straight game, Maryland should feel good about itself. The Terps were competitive against one of the best teams in the country, and this was the best game for the defense all season. If Maryland was better on set pieces, it would have been scoreless after 90 minutes.