Maryland women’s soccer vs. Richmond preview

Coming off a tough draw against Furman last time out, Maryland women’s soccer is looking to bounce back as it returns home to face a struggling Richmond team. This marks the fifth game of the season, and the middle of a stretch where Maryland plays seven unranked, non-conference opponents before starting Big Ten play.

The game is scheduled for a 7:30 p.m. ET start in College Park, and it will be available on BTN2Go.

Richmond Spiders (0-2)

Head coach Peter Albright. Currently in his 22nd season as head coach, Albright took over when Richmond created the women’s soccer program. Only five years into the program’s history, Albright led Richmond to its first-ever NCAA appearence in 2000. As a whole, Albright holds a 196-189-34 record.

Players to Watch

Lexi Prillaman, senior, forward, No. 10. Prillaman had a breakout season in 2016, leading Richmond with 12 goals and eight assists, but she’s yet to score this season, only registering an assist through two games. In just over three years at Richmond, she has started 55 of the 59 games in which she’s appeared.

Alexis Pringle, senior, defense, No. 15. For the past four seasons, Pringle has been an important piece of Richmond’s back line. Since her freshman season, she’s played in 52 games for the Spiders, starting 49 in total and 32 of her last 33.

Strength

Discipline. Richmond has been struggling to start the season, but the Spiders have been a relatively disciplined team. They only recorded eight fouls in each of their first two games, a foul less than Maryland has averaged in its first four games.

Weakness

Goalkeeping. So far this season, Richmond starter Katie Brennan has struggled in net, allowing seven goals on 16 shots. Against Iowa, Brennan was benched after allowing five goals, but then started the next game and played the full 90 minutes. Maryland should be able to take advantage of her slow start.

Three Things to Watch

1. Can Maryland play a complete game? Despite a 3-0-1 record, the Terps have yet to put together 90 minutes of consistent soccer, going into mini-slumps during the game. For Maryland to take the next step this season, the team has to try and find more consistency, something they’ve struggled with since last season.
2. Can Mikayla Dayes keep it up? The freshman has been on fire to start her collegiate career, scoring three goals in four games and being named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week. Right now she is the Terps’ best player and the biggest addition to the team, but it will be tough to keep this pace for the rest of the season.
3. How long will Maryland’s unbeaten streak last? The last time Maryland didn’t lose any of its first four games was 2013, but the Terps lost their next game and only won six of its last 16 games that year. The 2011 Terps present the last team to not lose in its first five games, going 6-0-2 in their first eight. That team finished the season with a 12-6-4 record.