Maryland women’s soccer falls to Northwestern, 2-0

After getting its first Big Ten win on Friday, Maryland women’s soccer couldn’t build off it, as the Terps fell to Northwestern in Evanston, 2-0.

Maryland had a rough first half, as Northwestern dominated the Terps for the first 45 minutes. The Wildcats scored twice in a four-minute span, both coming off corner kicks from the left end of the field.

Due to some Maryland injuries, Jlon Flippens spent most of this game on the offensive side of the field after playing midfield or defense for the entire season. Like the rest of the team, the sophomore struggled to get anything going offensively, resulting in a yellow card out of frustration.

To open the second half, Erin Seppi replaced Rachel Egyed in goal for the Terps. Seppi had only played in one game prior, for the first half in Maryland’s win over Gardner-Webb.

Maryland changed up its formation to favor the offense more, and the Terps responded with immediate pressure on Northwestern. However, they couldn’t sustain that pressure as Northwestern quickly adjusted to Maryland’s change in play.

The Terps did get some good news in the second half, as Jarena Harmon got some playing time. Harmon left last Sunday’s game with an injury and missed the game vs. Illinois, so it was a welcome sight to see her able to play some minutes in this one.

Northwestern controlled the game, outshooting Maryland 13-9 and collecting six more corner kick attempts. Additionally, Maryland out-fouled the Wildcats 11-5, including Flippens’ yellow card.

Maryland returns home for its next game as No. 9 Wisconsin comes to College Park. The match is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Friday, September 29.

Three Things to Know

1. Maryland missed Chelsea Jackson. Jackson missed her second straight game with an injury, and her absence was clearly felt. Similar to last Sunday’s game against Rutgers, in which she left with the injury, Maryland struggled to find sustained offense without its top players. Mikayla Dayes’ loss increases Jackson’s value to the team, and the Terps need their 2016 scoring leader as their Big Ten schedule unfolds.
2. The weather and short turnaround played a role in the outcome. It was hot in Evanston, so much so that the match featured a water break in each half. Combine that with a quick turnaround, and Maryland’s energy lacked for most of the game. Northwestern dealt with these circumstances much better than Maryland, which was a big decider in its victory. Additionally, Leone replacing Egyed with Seppi may have been spurred in part by the heat as well.
3. Maryland has four of its next six games at home. The Terps’ next game will be their first home game in 22 days, a welcome sight after playing three straight road games to open Big Ten play. After a 1-2 road trip, Maryland needs to take advantage of these home games in order to make a run in the conference.