Women’s Soccer Writer

Amy O'Sullivan umterps.com

The Maryland Terrapins’ women’s soccer team will take on the struggling Clemson Tigers at Ludwig Field this Thursday.

Maryland (11-1-1, 3-1-1 ACC) brings their two-game winning streak back to Ludwig, where they are undefeated through seven games, after a three-game road trip. After their lone loss of the season (to Virginia Tech) they have rebounded with one of the program’s biggest victories, over #4/#2 Boston College, and a win over N.C State.

While the Lady Terps have struggled to find the back of the net on their road trip, only scoring three goals, they have been getting plenty of opportunities. They are outshooting opponents 243 to 119, averaging an outstanding 18.7 shots per game this season.

In lieu of their offense, the Maryland defense has been playing exceptionally well. They are now allowing less than a goal per game, checking in at 0.92.

While the Terps have been soaring as of late, the Clemson Tigers have been crashing. After opening the year 5-0, the Tigers are currently on an eight-game losing streak. They are winless in the ACC.

Clemson’s (5-8, 0-5 ACC) offense is anemic at best. They are being outscored 25 to 16 and being outshot 203 to 136. Sophomore forward Maddy Elder leads the team with five goals followed by freshmen Jackie Dutton, who has two.

The Tigers’ defense is not that much better. Clemson is allowing close to two goals per game while scoring 1.23. Clemson’s freshman keeper, Lauren Arnold, has one shutout on the year.

Clemson is 8-11-1 all-time against the Terps. Maryland has won the last two meetings, including a 1-0 home win in 2008.

Terps Record: (11-1-1, 3-1-1 ACC)

Opponents: (5-8-0, 0-5 ACC)

Location: College Park, MD

Time: 7:00 pm ET

Coverage: WMUCsports.com

Prediction: The Terps are too good for this Clemson team, who has struggled against quality ACC opponents. Maryland wins big for the home crowd 3-0. Jasmyne Spencer, Caitlin McDowell and Danielle Hubka score.

Women’s Soccer Writer

Jasmyne Spencer umterps.com

Physical and aggressive play defined this match. Perhaps caused by Athletic Director Debbie Yow’s departure from Maryland to NC State, there was obviously bad blood between the two teams, who combined for 20 fouls on the night.

The Terps (11-1-1, 3-1-1 ACC) controlled the tempo of the game early in the half, getting off shots from Danielle Hubka, Jasmyne Spencer and Ashley Grove. But N.C State settled and stifled Maryland’s attack to close out a scoreless first half.

The Terrapins, however, were determined to crack the Wolfpack defense. Within a span of ten minutes the Lady Terps forced Wolfpack goalie, Kim Kerns, to make three saves. Their persistence paid off in the 67^th minute.

Junior forward Jasmyne Spencer had been relatively quiet in the past few games. Today, she was able to make some noise. Spencer took a one-timer in front of the goal from defender Megan Gibbons for the eventual game winner. It was her sixth goal of the season.

N.C State (7-7-0, 1-4 ACC) grew more desperate by the minute and their aggressive approach backfired in the 80^th minute. Defender Alyson Santilli received a yellow card for her physical play signaling the frustration for the Wolfpack had reached its boiling point.

In the end Maryland’s attack proved to much for the N.C State defense, forcing Kerns into five saves. The Terps’ defense snuffed whatever Wolfpack attack there was and Terps keeper Yewande Balogun had any easy game with two saves.

The Lady Terps return home for a match up with the Clemson Tigers on Thursday night.

Women’s Soccer Writer

Women’s Soccer Beat Writer

Colleen Deegan umterps.com

Thursday’s matchup between the #8 Maryland Terrapins and the #2 Boston College Eagles lived up to the hype and then some. The Terps pulled off a thrilling upset in Newton, Ma. by the score of  2-1 that came down to the wire.

The Eagles came out determined to forget their first loss of the season and put the pressure on the visiting Terrapins. BC took five shots within the first six minutes and worked Maryland goalie Yewande Balogun. She finished with five saves in the first half and seven for the game.

After the initial onslaught from the Eagles, Maryland settled down and limited their opponent’s opportunities.  The Lady Terps, reeling from their own first loss, struck back with six shots of their own in the first half. The game was a scoreless tie at halftime.

Once the second half started the intensity started to pick up. The Terps’ defense cracked when they had to face three straight corners and the third was the charm for the Eagles. In the 60^th minute, a Hannah Cerrone sent a corner resulting in a header shot by Chelsea Regan. Balogun wasn’t able to corral the save and settled for a block. The ball stayed alive, resulting in a Kristie Mewis goal from eight yards out. Patrice Vettori recorded the assist.

Down a goal, on the road, to the #2 team in the nation, the situation might have severely crushed some teams. But the Maryland Terrapins were determined to fight their way to a victory.

Sixteen agonizing minutes ensued for Maryland fans as near goals almost put them down 2-0. The agony was instantly replaced with elation in the 76^th minute when junior midfielder Amy O’Sullivan sent a shot off a rebound from three yards out past BC goalie Jillian Mastroianni.

With the momentum now on their side, the Terps’ defense shut down the BC attack and allowed only one shot in the last 15 minutes. The Maryland attack, revitalized by O’Sullivan’s equalizer, stepped up their aggressiveness.

Boston College was handed their first loss of the season with a 96^th minute goal from the Virginia Cavaliers; their second loss of the season would be just as painful.

Senior defender Colleen Deegan broke free as a hurried Ashley Grove corner was sent. The Centreville, Va. native sent a beautiful header from five yards out into the back of the net for the game winner in the 89th minute. Eight seconds were left in the game as the comeback was complete.

The Terps travel to N.C State for a Sunday ACC matchup.

Player of the Game: Balogun comes in second for the award with her seven saves but the senior Colleen Deegan ran away with it. The game winner with eight seconds of regulation left? Enough said.

Women’s Soccer Writer

Caitlin McDowell umterps.com

Tomorrow’s matchup between two top 10 women’s soccer teams was supposed to be the battle of unbeatens in Chestnut Hill. Instead, both Maryland and Boston College were handed their first losses of the season prior to the showdown.

Maryland (9-1-1, 1-1-1 ACC) fell to a mediocre Virginia Tech team in Blacksburg by the score of 1-0. The Lady Terps never controlled the game and couldn’t match Tech’s aggressiveness. Boston College, (9-1-1, 2-1-0 ACC) on the other hand, lost a thrilling overtime ACC game to the highly ranked Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville 3-2. The Wahoos clawed back from a 2-1 deficit and scored the game winner in the 96^th minute.

The #2 Eagles posses a deadly attack which is outscoring opponents 32 to 8; they average 2.91 goals a game. They are led by sophomore Victoria DiMartino, who leads the ACC with 11 goals. She has put up incredible numbers thus far this season, including seven games where she has scored multiple goals. DiMartino is complemented by fellow sophomore Kristen Mewis, who has scored six times this season. Junior goalie Jillian Mastroianni is one of the best in the nation and has five shutouts this year.

However, the Terps attack is nothing to scoff at. Even though they are slightly behind BC in outscoring opponents (31-10), they do possess an impressive 3.10 goals per game, while their defense holds opponents to 1.00 goal per game. Maryland plays with a balanced attack that has allowed seven Terps to score at least two goals. In Blacksburg, the Hokies shutdown Jasmyne Spencer, which allowed Caitlin McDowell and Sade Ayinde to get plenty of chances to score; this week, however, they will have to convert.

Terp’s Record: 9-1-1 (1-1-1)

Opponent: Boston College Eagles 9-1-1 (2-1-0)

Location: Newton, MA

Time: 7 p.m. ET

Coverage: Wmucsports.com

Prediction: I think the road woes for #8 Maryland will continue and #2 Boston College will get the win at home. But it will be closer than people think; McDowell scores the loan goal in a 2-1 loss.

Adrian Moten. Image from WaPo.

Men’s Soccer – Moves up to 6th from 8th in the NSCAA Poll after defeating Duke at home, 2-0.

Women’s Soccer – Falls from 7th to 8th in the NSCAA Poll after their first lost of the year.

Field Hockey – Drops to second in the NFHCA Poll after their first lost of the year.

Women’s Volleyball – Ranked 81st in the NCAA’s RPI Ratings.

Football – Still no votes in the AP Poll or the USA Today Poll.

Women’s Soccer Beat Writer

Sade Ayinde. Image from umterps.com

The Maryland women’s soccer team were handed their first loss of the season, falling to a middling Virginia Tech team 1-0 in Blacksburg on Sunday night. The loss snapped the Terrapins’ 10-game undefeated streak.

Virginia Tech (7-5-0, 1-2 ACC) came out on the aggressive and controlled the tempo for most of the game. Tech was given plenty of opportunities in the first half from crosses but failed to finish. The Hokies worked Terps’ goalie Yewande Balogun, who responded with two nice saves. She finished with three on the day.

Maryland hoped to take advantage of Tech’s freshmen goalie, Dayle Colpitts, but she had a superb game, saving three shots in the first half of her shutout. The Terps would end with 14 shots taken to Tech’s 13.

After a scoreless first half, the home team came out aggressive again, which paid off in the 52nd minute. Tech’s Ashley Manning found herself on the receiving end of a brilliantly placed lob from Kelly Conheeney, sending it to the right side of the net past Balogun for her second goal of the year.

The lead was almost pushed to two in the 62nd minute on a series of shots off a Conheeney corner. Jennifer Harvey laid a pretty shot that was met by the post for a lucky Maryland break.

The Terps rebounded with a series of close shots of their own from Hubka, Ashley Grove and Skyy Anderson. Their best chance came off what would have been an incredible score from Sade Ayinde had it not been for a diving Colpitts. The defense tightened and Colpitts did not have to make any saves in the final 10 minutes. She would finish with five.

Maryland (9-1-1, 1-1-1 ACC) stays on the road with a highly anticipated matchup with #1 Boston College (Soccer America) in Chestnut Hill on Oct. 7.

Player of the Game: Freshman Dayle Colpitts played one of the best games of her career against a highly ranked Maryland team and recorded her third shutout of the year. She made difficult saves in preserving her team’s upset.

Jasmyne Spencer. Image from terrapintrail.com

Not even fully dry from their rain soaked victory over Virginia, the Lady Terps are preparing for tomorrow’s showdown with Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. Maryland hopes to continue their 10 game undefeated streak against the Hokies (6-5, 0-2 ACC).

Virginia Tech is coming off two tough losses to in-state rival Virginia and UNC, dropping them to the bottom of the ACC standings. However, the Hokies do have talent. They are led by a core group of seniors, including Marika Gray, who has bounced back from an injury-plagued 2008 season. She leads the team in shots taken (36), 2^nd in assists (5), and tied for 3^rd in points (11). Tech depends on their seniors to take the pressure off their freshmen goalie Dayle Colpitts. The Hokies have an excellent home record which stands at 4-1 in Blacksburg.

The Terps have not been on the road in four games. Hopefully this does not translate to a slow start in front of a hostile crowd. The undefeated streak gives them confidence, but mixed with a date with the #1 team in the country (Soccer America), Boston College, later in the week, the Terps may be overlooking the Hokies. Ashley Grove, Sade Ayinde, and Jasmyne Spencer lead the potent Maryland attack with seven, six, and five goals respectively.

Terps Record: (9-0-1, 1-0 ACC)

Opponent: (6-5, 0-2 ACC)

Location: Blacksburg, Va.

Time: 5 p.m. ET

Coverage: WMUCSports.com., VT All-Access (paid subscription)

Prediction: An Oct. 7 showdown with #1 Boston College has me worried the Terps might be overlooking the middle of the road Hokies. Yet, Coach Pensky will have his squad ready as they grab the road win 3-1. Spencer, Grove, and Hubka score.

Men’s Soccer – Dropped from 5th to 8th in the NSCAA poll after a loss at North Carolina.

Women’s Soccer – Moves up from 8th to 5th after drawing at home against Duke.

Field Hockey – Overtakes North Carolina as the #1 school in the country in the NFHCA poll. Interestingly enough, North Carolina has 31 first place votes to Maryland’s 12, but apparently quite a few pollsters had UNC ranked lower than second. The Terps have had one of the toughest schedules in the country, and have played (and beaten) more Top 25 teams than the Tar Heels.

Football – No votes in the AP Poll or the USA Today poll.

Men’s Soccer – Moved up from #7 to #5 in the NSCAA Poll after resounding wins over Loyola and NC State.

Women’s Soccer – Stayed at #8 for the third week in a row in the NSCAA Poll after beating George Mason.

Field Hockey - Still at #2 in the NFHCA poll, but they are now up to 11 first place votes.

Football – Lost all 13 combined votes from the AP and USA Today polls after losing to West Virginia.