Maryland women’s soccer beats Richmond, 1-0, in double overtime

With 52 seconds left in the second overtime period, senior forward Chelsea Jackson ended Maryland women’s soccer’s game against Richmond with a walk-off goal. After nearly 110 minutes of scoreless soccer, one goal at the end was all it took.

The Terps improve to 4-0-1, surpassing last season’s win total in just five games. But Maryland had to play without star freshman Mikayla Dayes at the end, as she was carted off the field after a non-contact injury.

Madison Turner had a strong game, finishing with nine shots on the night. While she was present with Dayes in the game, she became a focal point after the freshman’s injury.

Richmond played a very physical game, out-fouling Maryland 11-5. The Terps aggressiveness on offense paid off with all eight corner kicks of the game, although they were unable to finish any of them.

The first half didn’t see much action, as both teams started slow out of the gate. For Maryland, play picked up when Dayes came off the bench after not starting for the first time this year. The freshman finished the half with three shots, one more than the rest of the team. Goalkeeper Rachel Egyed wasn’t too busy in the first 45 minutes, saving both shots on goal she faced.

Maryland began the second half playing more aggressively than it did in the first. The Terps had four shots through the first 15 minutes of the second half.

About a third of the way into the second half, Dayes went down with a non-contact injury and needed a cart to get off the field. She did not return to the game.

After Dayes left, the momentum shifted to Richmond. Despite starting slow out of halftime, the Spiders picked it up, putting more pressure on a shorthanded Maryland team. While the Terps slowly began to regain momentum, they took a bit to recover from Dayes’ injury. However, Maryland still out-shot Richmond 13-4 in the second half, proof of its continued pressure.

Rachel Egyed came up big in the second half, making a few tough saves to keep the game scoreless. Richmond had a couple of scattered chances, but Egyed kept the ball out of the net to keep Maryland in it.

In the overtime, both sides had their best chances on free kicks. Maryland’s Jlon Flippens aimed for the goal, but hit the ball too low as it caught a Richmond defender’s head, and the Spiders’ Bailey Cristian beat Egyed, but hit the crossbar. Finally, in the second overtime period, the veteran connection of Jackson and senior captain Hope Gouterman ended the game.

Maryland next takes on George Mason on the road, Sunday night at 7 p.m. ET.

Three things to know

1. Dayes’ injury is a big deal. Make no mistake, Dayes has been Maryland’s best player through the first five games. If she misses significant time, the Terps have to find a way to regroup, testing the newfound depth of this team. Dayes’ injury is the second to happen to a freshman this season, with highly-ranked Alyssa Poarch redshirting due to a previous ACL injury.
2. Rachel Egyed proved her importance to the team. The redshirt junior, who was a bright spot in a rough 2016, kept the Terps in the game with some tough saves on Richmond scoring chances. Egyed finished the game with six saves in 109 minutes of play. As the season progresses, she will need to be a steady presence on net for the Terps.
3. Maryland has played 324 minutes of soccer in its last three games. Not only have each of the Terps last three games been in extra time, but they all required a second overtime period. Five players players played every second of this game, so it’s worth watching how much this extra time takes a toll on Maryland.