Maryland Women’s Soccer Falls to Oregon, 1-0, to Finish West Coast Road Trip

EUGENE, Ore. — Maryland women’s soccer battled Oregon for more than 70 scoreless minutes Sunday afternoon, but one second-half goal proved to be the difference as the Terrapins fell to the Ducks, 1-0, at Papé Field.

Oregon’s Lauren Hunter broke the scoreless tie at the 70:11 mark, scoring off an assist from Carly Cormack. Maryland could not find an equalizer over the final 19-plus minutes, dropping to 3-4-1 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. Oregon improved to 6-1-1 overall and 1-1 in the conference.

The final score did not necessarily reflect how competitive Maryland was throughout the afternoon. The Terrapins actually outshot Oregon 13-12, although the Ducks held a 4-2 advantage in shots on goal and a 7-4 edge in corner kicks. Maryland goalkeeper Faith Luckey made three saves and kept the Terps within striking distance throughout the match.

Maryland Starts Aggressively

Maryland generated the first scoring opportunity of the afternoon when Peyton Bernard put a shot on goal in the seventh minute, forcing Oregon goalkeeper Kailey Kimball into an early save.

The Terrapins then successfully defended an Oregon corner kick in the 10th minute without allowing the Ducks to generate a shot. Oregon appeared to break through seven minutes later, but its goal was overturned, allowing Maryland to keep the match scoreless.

Luckey was called upon in the 21st minute and made her first save of the afternoon. Maryland continued trying to create pressure at the opposite end and earned a corner kick in the 30th minute, but neither side could find the opening goal.

Oregon generated another dangerous opportunity just before halftime, but Luckey came through with her second save in the 45th minute. The two teams entered halftime tied, 0-0, giving Maryland an opportunity to earn a result on the road in its second Big Ten match of the season.

Luckey Keeps Maryland in the Match

Oregon immediately tested Maryland after halftime, and Luckey made her third save in the 48th minute. The Terrapins’ defense then successfully dealt with another Oregon corner in the 53rd minute.

Maryland’s defensive effort was particularly important considering Oregon entered the match with a 5-1-1 record. The Ducks had also demonstrated their defensive strength throughout the early portion of the season, making Maryland’s ability to stay level deep into the second half significant.

The Terps were not simply sitting back defensively. Maryland continued looking for opportunities and ultimately finished the afternoon with more total shots than Oregon.

The problem was turning those attempts into legitimate scoring chances.

Oregon Finally Breaks Through

After more than 70 minutes of scoreless soccer, Oregon finally found the breakthrough.

Cormack set up Hunter, who scored her second goal of the season at 70:11 to put the Ducks ahead, 1-0. The goal came after Maryland’s defense and Luckey had successfully kept Oregon off the scoreboard for the first 70 minutes.

Maryland attempted to respond.

Mckinley Heaven recorded her fourth shot of the afternoon in the 78th minute as the Terps searched for the equalizer. Heaven was Maryland’s most active attacking player, finishing with four shots, although none were on target.

Bernard finished with two shots and Maryland’s first shot on goal, while Lisa McIntyre recorded two shots with one on target. Ary Oliver also attempted two shots.

Maryland defended another Oregon corner in the 79th minute before the Ducks received a yellow card in the 82nd.

The Terps continued searching for the tying goal but never found it, and Oregon closed out the final minutes to secure the 1-0 victory.

Terps Generate Shots But Need More on Target

The biggest frustration for Maryland will likely be the disparity between its total shots and shots on goal.

Maryland finished with 13 attempts compared with Oregon’s 12, meaning the Terps generated enough possession and attacking opportunities to threaten the Ducks. However, only two of those 13 shots reached the target.

Oregon put four of its 12 shots on goal.

That difference ultimately mattered.

Maryland’s defense held Oregon to one goal and Luckey stopped three of the four shots she faced. On most afternoons, allowing only one goal gives a team an opportunity to earn at least a draw.

But Maryland needed a finishing touch at the other end.

The Terps have now been shut out in four of their last five matches. Maryland lost 2-0 to Navy, 2-0 to Old Dominion and 2-0 to No. 12 Washington before Sunday’s 1-0 defeat against Oregon. The exception was Maryland’s 2-1 victory over Binghamton on Sept. 6.

That makes offensive production an important area to address as Maryland moves deeper into its Big Ten schedule.

Difficult West Coast Trip Ends With Two Losses

Maryland’s trip to the Pacific Northwest was always going to be challenging.

The Terps opened Big Ten play Thursday against No. 12 Washington in Seattle. Maryland stayed within striking distance for much of that match, but Washington scored in the 23rd and 56th minutes to secure a 2-0 victory.

Luckey made five saves against the Huskies.

Maryland then traveled south to Eugene for Sunday’s meeting with Oregon.

The result was another loss, but Sunday’s performance was considerably closer statistically. Maryland generated more shots than Oregon and stayed even for more than 70 minutes before Hunter’s goal changed the match.

Maryland therefore returns to College Park at 3-4-1 overall and still searching for its first Big Ten victory at 0-2.

Home Stretch Comes at Important Time

The schedule does not become easier for Maryland, but the Terps will at least get an opportunity to return home.

Maryland’s next three matches are scheduled for Ludwig Field, beginning with Penn State on Friday, Sept. 18. The Terps will then host Wisconsin on Sept. 24 and UCLA on Sept. 27 before returning to the road in October.

Friday’s match against Penn State is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will stream on B1G+.

Getting back to College Park could come at an important time for a Maryland team searching for offensive consistency and its first conference victory.

MSB Take

This is a frustrating loss because Maryland did enough defensively to get something out of this match. Holding Oregon scoreless for 70 minutes on the road and finishing with a 13-12 advantage in total shots should put the Terps in position to at least earn a draw.

The issue continues to be finishing opportunities. Maryland produced 13 shots Sunday but put only two on goal. When a team is struggling to score, simply generating attempts is not enough. The Terps have to make opposing goalkeepers work more frequently.

There are positives. Luckey continues to give Maryland dependable goalkeeping, and the defense held a 6-1-1 Oregon team to one goal. Heaven also remained aggressive with four shot attempts, and Maryland did not allow the Ducks to dominate possession to the point where the Terps had no opportunities of their own.

But Maryland has now gone scoreless in four of its past five matches. That is the biggest concern heading into the heart of Big Ten competition.

The good news is that Maryland now returns to Ludwig Field. After a difficult two-game West Coast trip against Washington and Oregon, the Terps need to regroup quickly and find a way to turn attacking opportunities into goals.

The performances have shown that Maryland can stay competitive. The next step is turning competitive matches into Big Ten points.