By Borja Rebaza
One hundred and ten minutes was not enough as Maryland Women’s Soccer took a big step forward in a 2-2 draw against the twelfth-ranked Wisconsin Badgers.
The game was a tale of two halves, as the Terps went down early by two, then fought to tie the game in the second half, led by a stunning goal from Gi Krstec. In the end, neither team had enough left for the final push to score in the extra session, as the game ended in a stalemate
Maryland came into this game after a three game road trip to start conference play. After an undefeated nonconference slate, the Terrapins went 1-2 to start BIG 10 play, coming off of a loss to Northwestern.
Their opponents, the Wisconsin Badgers, came in ranked twelfth in the nation and looked to bounce back from a disappointing home loss to Michigan.
Maryland looked to continue its promising start to the season, which has been dampered through injuries to key players such as Chelsea Jackson, who is now out for the season after having surgery on her ACL. This meant young players had to step up, and they did.
“The fact that we had to individuals who have never scored score says everything about our team” proclaimed defender Hope Gouterman after the game.
Under the beautiful sky that the three o’clock kickoff provided, Maryland tried to apply pressure early, but the Badgers held firm, including a tremendous save from keeper Caitlyn Clem on a 1v1 opportunity for the Terps. Both teams settled in as Wisconsin countered Maryland’s pressure with chances of their own, including a Becca Harrison shot that was blocked inside the six yard box.
The breakthrough for the Badgers finally came off of a corner twenty minutes in, when Terrapin keeper Rachel Egyed failed to catch the initial cross, falling to the feet of Dani Rhodes who rifled the ball past the near post and into the net. Only a couple of minutes later, Rhodes struck again, this time getting to a loose ball in the box to finish her second goal of the game. Maryland tried to bounce back, but the Badgers held down the fort to close out the half.
The beginning of the second half was a chippy affair, but the breakthrough for the Terps arrived fifteen minutes in. Gi Kristec took a pass from Madison Turner, and shot from 40 yards out, the ball settling into the side of the net. She took advantage of the Badger keeper being way out of her box, as the stunning goal gave Terps the momentum to comeback. After the goal was scored, there was a distinct shift in the game, as Maryland began to dominate possession.
They kept this momentum going as Jenna Surdick was able to score off a corner to tie the game up. Both teams then traded chances for twenty minutes but none were able to convert as the game headed into overtime.
Tired legs took over in OT, as both teams struggled to get momentum and chances were hard to come by. In the end, the Terps come away with an impressive result as they go into the meat of their conference schedule. Ray Leone’s squad will look to correct the errors that put them in the 0-2 hole, while continuing their strong offensive start.
“We’re not thrilled with just tying but with the way it started that’s a great result for us,” Leone said.
Terps will take on Minnesota this Sunday at 1:00.
