The Ohio State women’s soccer team (8-2-3) will welcome Maryland Thursday. Credit: Zachary Riley | Photo Editor
The No. 20 Ohio State women’s soccer team looks to extend its unbeaten streak to six games when it hosts Maryland on Thursday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
The Buckeyes (8-2-3, 3-1-2 Big Ten) sit at fifth place in the Big Ten standings while the Terrapins (2-6-5, 1-5-0 Big Ten) enter Thursday’s contest in 12th place. .
Ohio State and Maryland have four matches left in their respective regular seasons, with the Buckeyes looking to secure a top-four seed in the Big Ten Tournament to host a quarterfinal while Maryland looks to fight into one of the top-eight seeds.
The two Big Ten foes enter Thursday’s contest in opposite runs of form. In their previous five matches, the Buckeyes are 3-0-2 with a goal differential of plus-seven and the Terrapins are 0-5-0 with a goal differential of minus-nine.
Despite Maryland’s losing streak and place in the Big Ten standings, Ohio State head coach Lori Walker-Hock said the Buckeyes must respect the Terrapins.
“They’re super athletic,” Walker-Hock said. “They have a new coach. So, they are playing for her and trying to prove themselves to her. So, there’s a lot there that you have to be challenged with.”
Maryland’s head coach, Meghan Ryan Nemzer, took over the helm Dec. 10, 2021.
Walker-Hock said Nemzer’s team has an aspect of unpredictability to them.
“You don’t know exactly what shape they’re going to play out of,” Walker-Hock said. “You’ve got to be flexible and adjust to that. And they’re scoring in almost every game. So that has to be something that we respect and understand. And how we respond to that is super important.”
Offensively, the Terrapins are led by senior forward Alina Stahl and graduate forward Mikayla Dayes, who have posted four goals with two assists and two goals with two assists, respectively.
Madeline Smith, a senior goalkeeper, started nine of Maryland’s 13 matches and has saved 32 shots while allowing 10 goals. Maryland graduate goalkeeper Emory Wegener has made nine saves and allowed seven goals in four games this season.
The Buckeyes are led on offense by senior forward Emma Sears, who scored six goals and three assists as well as junior midfielder Peyton McNamara, who posted five goals and one assist.
McNamara said the Buckeyes have a clear mindset entering the home stretch of the season, starting with a clash against Maryland.
“I think the key is always to just finish every game and give everything we have,” McNamara said. “All the teams we have left are hardworking and talented. So, it’s up to us to play our best in every game and just finish them like we know how.”
Ohio State has a pair of goalkeepers that play regularly, graduate Kat Robinson and freshman Molly Pritchard.
Pritchard leads the team with 30 saves and allowed six goals in 12 matches while Robinson has stopped 21 shots and conceded four goals in 13 matches.
On Thursday, the Buckeyes look to start new win and shutout streaks, both of which were snapped by Nebraska on Saturday. The game between Ohio State and Maryland will start at 7 pm at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.
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