Maryland women’s soccer vs Indiana preview

The Terrapins exploded with six goals against Illinois last Sunday, but haven’t scored since. With two shutout losses on the road against Nebraska and Iowa over the weekend, Maryland now sits just one game over .500 with four games remaining.

Maryland (7-6-2, 3-4 Big Ten) got off 11 total shots in the two losses, just the third and fourth times that the team was held to single-digits. Five shots against Nebraska became the season-low.

The road hasn’t been kind to this team in recent years. Maryland picked up one away win this season — the only one since September 2017. Two out of four games to finish the year are on the road, but the Terrapins get to play their next two in College Park.

A postseason berth would be the first in the team’s Big Ten history. The top eight teams earn a spot in the tournament, and Maryland currently sits at No. 9.

Indiana Hoosiers (7-6-1, 3-3-1 Big Ten): 6 p.m.

2018 record: 8-8-2 (4-7 Big Ten)

The Hoosiers last saw the postseason in 2016 and haven’t finished a season with a winning record since. Indiana sits three spots ahead of Maryland in the current conference standings, with just one game remaining against a team that is also in the playoff picture.

The biggest decision of the year came against the conference’s top-ranked team, Michigan. Indiana took the Wolverines to double-overtime and finished with a scoreless draw in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Players to know

Avery Lockwood, freshman midfielder No. 8 — After the team’s leading scorer from a season ago was lost to graduation, Lockwood has picked up the slack with 10 points in her freshman campaign. Her four goals are tied for the team-high, coming off a pristine high school career, ranked No. 34 in the 2019 recruiting class, according to IMG Academy.

Bethany Kopel, junior goalkeeper No. 1 — Kopel has built a strong junior season off a solid year in 2018. Playing all but 11 minutes last year, Kopel registered 92 saves with a 1.59 goals allowed average. This season, Kopel has been in goal all 1,280 minutes and has only allowed 0.84 goals per game.

Chandra Davidson, senior forward No. 19 — Davidson is the only other player on the Indiana roster with more than five points. Her four goals and one assist match her point total of nine from last season, but in a much more aggressive way. The Ontario, Canada native doubled her goals in 2019 and remains a force on Indiana’s attack.

Three things to watch

1. Can Maryland take advantage at home? The Terrapins have been pretty productive at Ludwig this season, earning six wins while conceding just one loss. With half of its remaining games at home to finish out the season, Maryland needs to find a way to win games in College Park.
2. How can the Terrapins start an attack? Once Maryland gets up on a team, it hasn’t lost this year. With many of the first goals coming within the first 10 minutes of play, the Terrapins will look to jump out to another fast start against Indiana after going scoreless in their last two contests.
3. Can Maryland make history? In their fifth year playing in the Big Ten, the Terrapins are still looking for their first postseason appearance. Head coach Ray Leone has brought a number of other programs to fruition in past jobs, and he is hoping that Maryland is his next winner in his fourth season at the helm.