Maryland women’s soccer at Binghamton preview

Maryland women’s soccer finds itself on a two-game winning streak after shutting out George Mason on Thursday, 2-0.

Maryland outshot the Patriots, 28-0, in what was by far its most dominant performance of the season. Both of Maryland’s goals were highlight-reel efforts, as midfielder Catherine DeRosa laced one in from outside the box in the first half, and forward Ava Morales found the top left corner in the second half.

The Terps will now look to extend their winning streak with a road game against Binghamton.

The match will take place on Sunday at 1 p.m. and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.

Binghamton (1-3-2, 0-0 America East)

2022 record: 9-5-5 (6-1-1 America East)

The Bearcats have been a program on the rise since head coach Neel Bhattacharjee took over eight years ago. Last season, Bhattacharjee was named the America East Coach of the Year after leading Binghamton to the conference regular-season title and an appearance in the conference tournament championship game.

While the Bearcats have gotten off to a rough start this season, it’s clear that some of the pieces that made last year’s squad successful are still present.

Players to watch

Olivia McKnight, graduate midfielder, No. 3 – Having already started the season with a goal and an assist, McKnight continues to show why she’s one of the best players on the team. Last year, she was named the America East Midfielder of the Year, putting up eight goals and four assists. She also started all 19 games as a team captain.

Brooke Herber, sophomore defender, No. 15 – As an underclassman, Herber made the All-America East rookie team last season, and she has started every game of her young career.

Lexi Vegoda, senior defender/midfielder, No. 7 – She’s only started two games for the Bearcats, but Vegoda already has a team-high three points, with two goals and one assist.

Strength

Generating shots. Despite their record, the Bearcats have been exceptional at getting shots on goal this season. They average 7.3 shots on target per game, which is the most in the America East. They also average 14.5 shots per game, which is the second-best mark in the conference.

Weakness

Goalkeeping. Junior goalkeeper Kaitlyn Williams has started all six games this season, but her performances haven’t been impressive. Despite having faced the second-least number of shots per game in the conference (3.3), she has a .690 save percentage, which ranks worst among eligible America East keepers.

Three things to watch

1. More team goals? Maryland’s attack has struggled to register assists on its goals over the last few games. Against George Mason, both of the team’s goals were unassisted. The Terps average .57 assists per game, which ranks at the bottom of the Big Ten.

2. Will Peyton Bernard finally get on the score sheet? The freshman forward has two assists across six starts, but Bernard is yet to find the back of the net. Despite also tallying 12 shots, the third-most on the team, the finishing touch just hasn’t been there for Bernard.

3. Can Maryland finish the non-conference schedule with a win? Maryland has a real chance to build momentum ahead of conference play if it can scrape out a win at Binghamton. Now that the Terps are above .500, it would be huge for them to get one last win before the pressure and intensity of Big Ten play arrives.