Red Card Proves Costly as Maryland Women’s Soccer Falls 2-0 to No. 12 UCLA
By Brian Hradsky
The Maryland Terrapins women’s soccer team battled No. 12 UCLA through nearly 70 scoreless minutes Sunday afternoon before a red card changed the complexion of the match, allowing the Bruins to pull away for a 2-0 victory at Ludwig Field.
Maryland went toe-to-toe with one of the Big Ten’s nationally ranked programs for much of the afternoon. The Terrapins kept UCLA off the scoreboard throughout the first half and into the second, but Paige Foye’s red card in the 70th minute forced Maryland to finish the match with 10 players.
UCLA quickly took advantage. Senior midfielder Oruha Hayashi scored twice over the final 16 minutes to break the deadlock and secure the Bruins’ third consecutive shutout. Maryland dropped to 3-7-1 overall and 0-5 in Big Ten play, while UCLA improved to 7-3-1 overall and 4-1 in conference competition.
Maryland hangs tough in defensive first half
UCLA generated the first real pressure of the afternoon, earning a corner kick in the fourth minute, but Maryland’s defense handled the early threat.
The Bruins did not record their first shot until the 17th minute. Maryland goalkeeper Faith Luckey made her first save one minute later, beginning another busy afternoon for the Terrapins’ goalkeeper.
Maryland produced its first shot in the 21st minute when Dani Gichner tried to break through against the UCLA defense. Luckey was called upon again in the 35th minute and made another save to keep the match scoreless.
One of Maryland’s better opportunities of the opening half came from Ella Petry in the 39th minute. Petry put her attempt on target, but UCLA goalkeeper Ryan Campbell made the save.
Foye received a yellow card in the 41st minute, an important moment that would become much more significant after halftime.
Despite UCLA having more possession and opportunities, Maryland went into halftime tied 0-0 with the No. 12 team in the country.
Terps remain within striking distance
Maryland’s challenge entering the second half was finding a way to turn its defensive performance into offensive opportunities.
The Terrapins had already demonstrated they could frustrate UCLA defensively. Maryland needed only one quality scoring chance to potentially take control of the match.
The Terps received another yellow card early in the second half but continued to hold off UCLA.
Jolie Farmer, Maryland’s leading scorer entering the match, created an opportunity in the 70th minute and put a shot on goal. UCLA made the save, keeping the game scoreless.
Then came the sequence that completely altered the afternoon.
Foye was assessed a red card in the 70th minute. Maryland was forced to play the remainder of the match down a player against a UCLA team that had entered Sunday with a 3-1 Big Ten record.
UCLA capitalizes on the red card
Maryland had held UCLA scoreless for more than 74 minutes, but playing down a player eventually created too much pressure.
Hayashi finally broke through at the 74:22 mark.
Anna Wilson and Grace Shank were credited with assists as Hayashi scored to give UCLA a 1-0 advantage. The goal came less than five minutes after Maryland went down to 10 players.
The Terrapins suddenly had to chase the match while simultaneously trying to prevent UCLA from exploiting its numerical advantage.
Luckey continued doing everything possible to keep Maryland close. She made two more saves during a five-minute stretch following UCLA’s opening goal.
Maryland still managed to create an opportunity late despite being down a player. Ellie Egeland put an attempt on goal in the 85th minute, but Campbell made the save.
The Bruins finally put the match away shortly afterward.
Hayashi struck again at 86:02, with Shank and Molly Hale providing the assists. Her second goal of the afternoon increased UCLA’s lead to 2-0 and essentially ended Maryland’s comeback hopes.
Luckey keeps Maryland competitive
The final score does not completely reflect how competitive Maryland was for most of the afternoon.
UCLA finished with a sizable 21-9 advantage in total shots, including an 8-4 edge in shots on goal. The Bruins also earned six corner kicks compared with only one for Maryland.
Luckey was once again a major reason the Terrapins remained within striking distance.
The Maryland goalkeeper finished with six saves. Through the UCLA match, Luckey had accumulated 25 saves during Big Ten competition, which Maryland noted ranked among the conference’s top five totals.
Maryland’s four shots on goal came from several different players. Egeland led the Terrapins with three total shots and two on target, while Farmer recorded two shots and one on goal. Petry also put an attempt on target.
The Terrapins were unable to convert any of those opportunities, continuing an offensive drought that has become increasingly significant during conference play.
Offensive struggles continue
Maryland’s biggest issue during its Big Ten schedule has been finding the back of the net.
The Terps have now been shut out in all five of their conference matches. Maryland lost 2-0 at No. 11 Washington, 1-0 at Oregon, 2-0 against Penn State, 1-0 against No. 14 Wisconsin and 2-0 against No. 12 UCLA.
That gives Maryland five consecutive losses and leaves the Terrapins searching for their first Big Ten goal and first conference victory of the season.
The encouraging part is that Maryland has remained competitive defensively in several of those matches.
The Terps lost by one goal against Oregon and Wisconsin, while Sunday’s game against UCLA remained scoreless until Maryland was forced to play down a player.
Against Wisconsin, Maryland allowed only one goal. Against UCLA, the Terrapins kept a nationally ranked opponent off the scoreboard for nearly 75 minutes.
Eventually, however, Maryland will need to turn competitive performances into points in the Big Ten standings.
Tough stretch against ranked opponents
The schedule has not done Maryland many favors.
Three of the Terrapins’ first five Big Ten opponents were nationally ranked when Maryland faced them: No. 11 Washington, No. 14 Wisconsin and No. 12 UCLA. Maryland also faced traditional conference power Penn State during that stretch.
UCLA entered Sunday’s match after defeating Rutgers 1-0 Thursday and had been picked near the top of the Big Ten entering the season. The Bruins have a strong recent conference history, winning the Big Ten Tournament in their first season in the league in 2024 before going 6-2-3 in conference play in 2025.
Maryland showed for much of Sunday that it could compete defensively with that level of opponent.
The next step is finding the finishing touch necessary to turn those performances into results.
UCLA continues its strong Big Ten start
The victory completed a successful East Coast road trip for UCLA.
The Bruins defeated Rutgers 1-0 Thursday before traveling to College Park and shutting out Maryland 2-0. UCLA collected six conference points on the trip without allowing a goal.
Hayashi was the difference Sunday.
Her two goals increased her season total to four, and Shank played a role in both scores with two assists. UCLA also recorded its third consecutive shutout.
The Bruins left College Park at 7-3-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big Ten.
Terps hit the road
Maryland will now attempt to regroup before traveling to Minnesota on Friday, Oct. 2.
The Terrapins and Golden Gophers are scheduled to kick off at 8 p.m. ET, with the match available on Big Ten Plus. Maryland then returns to Ludwig Field for three consecutive home matches against Nebraska on Oct. 8, Northwestern on Oct. 11 and Iowa on Oct. 16.
That stretch could become crucial for a Maryland team that needs to begin collecting conference points.
After the three-game homestand, Maryland faces a difficult finish with road matches against Michigan, No. 2 Michigan State and Rutgers.
MSB Take
The 2-0 final score is frustrating for Maryland, but this was not a match in which the Terrapins were overwhelmed from the opening whistle.
Maryland kept the No. 12 team in the country scoreless for nearly 75 minutes. Luckey delivered another strong performance in goal, and the Terps created several opportunities of their own. Against a UCLA program with national championship pedigree, Maryland gave itself a legitimate opportunity to get a result.
The red card changed everything.
Playing with 10 against a team as talented as UCLA is an extremely difficult assignment, and the Bruins needed less than five minutes to capitalize. Once Hayashi scored the opening goal, Maryland had to become more aggressive while already playing at a numerical disadvantage.
Still, Maryland’s larger concern remains its offense. Five Big Ten matches have produced five losses, but more importantly, the Terrapins have yet to score a conference goal. The defense and Luckey have repeatedly kept Maryland within reach, but eventually the offense has to reward those performances.
Maryland showed Sunday that it can hang around with a nationally ranked opponent. Now the Terps need to turn those stretches of good soccer into goals and, ultimately, Big Ten points.
