Maryland women’s soccer continues non-conference schedule on the road

After finishing up last weekend’s slate of games with a physical double-overtime draw against Navy, Maryland women’s soccer will be on the road again as the Terps head for Philadelphia. They’ll be looking to find some breathing room above the .500 mark, as they currently sit at 2-1-1 on the season.

Thus far, it’s been a bit of a mixed bag for Maryland when it comes to playing on the road. The Terps got off on the right foot with a 2-1 win over William & Mary, but were held scoreless in the following two games against James Madison and Navy. But head coach Ray Leone is confident that he can get the offense back on track before Big Ten play starts.

“We got four games to sort it out before we get to the Big Ten, and we really gotta concentrate on being more composed under incredible pressure,” Leone said. “But first we were working on defending that’s what we’ve been working on all preseason. But the next thing now is possession.”

It would appear their work on defense has been paying off as well, as the defending and goalkeeping have been the Terps’ backbone so far this season. With a working rotation at goalkeeper between Rachel Egyed and Erin Seppi and senior defenders Julia New and Jenna Surdick bookending the back end, the Terps defense should remain a problem for opposing teams.

Up next

Maryland will play a pair of games in Philadelphia this weekend, facing Temple on Friday, then turning around to meet Drexel two days later on Sunday.

Temple (2-1)

2017 record: 6-10-2

Temple has its 2018 season on the right track so far, although the competition it’s faced hasn’t necessarily been the strongest. After opening the season with a loss to Saint Joseph’s, the Owls have rebounded and won their previous two matches against Sacred Heart and Delaware State. During that time, Temple’s goal scorers have been spread out across the roster, with the five goals scored coming from four different players. While the offense appears to be clicking at the moment, scoring on Maryland’s defense will not be an easy task.

Drexel (2-1-2)

2017 record: 11-7-1

Maryland’s second matchup of the weekend will come against a familiar foe in Drexel. The two teams met early last season at Ludwig Field, with the Terps getting the 2-1 win. Hope Lewandowski and Mikayla Dayes each chipped in a goal that game, and will be seeing the field on Sunday hoping to do the same. Like Temple, Drexel has won its last two matches heading into this weekend after going winless the first three games.

The team is led by seniors Shaelyn McCarty and Kiera Hennessy, as they currently lead the team in goals scored with three apiece. But Sunday’s match figures to be a defensive battle, given that through Drexel’s first five games the Dragons have neither allowed nor scored more than two goals in a single contest. On Sunday, one or two goals by either team might be enough to secure the victory.