Maryland women’s soccer vs. Iowa preview

Maryland women’s soccer continued its losing streak Thursday, suffering a 3-0 loss at Nebraska.

The Terps showed moments of inspiration throughout, but another first-half goal put them behind early.

Maryland tried to push for an equalizer late, but instead gave forward Eleanor Dale her 20th and 21st goals of the season inside the final 10 minutes of the match.

The Terps will now take on Iowa in their final road game of the season. Maryland has not beat Iowa since 2018.

Sunday’s match is set for 1 p.m. and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.

Iowa Hawkeyes (8-3-3, 2-3-2 Big Ten)

2022 record: 6-9-2 (3-4-1 Big Ten)

Head coach Dave Dilanni has been at Iowa for over a decade, but the Hawkeyes have struggled recently. This year, though, they have seemed to find their footing.

While Maryland needs a near miracle to clinch a postseason berth, Iowa is well on its way to a top-four seed in the conference tournament.

Players to watch

Kenzie Roling, junior forward/midfielder, No. 28 — Iowa’s offense has not been prolific, but Roling is having a great season, leading the team with three goals and five assists.

Samantha Cary, fifth-year defender, No. 9 — Cary, a team captain, is the oldest player on an Iowa backline that has performed well this season. She’s thrice been named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and has started in every single match.

Macy Enneking, junior goalkeeper, No. 1 — Enneking has proved her worth in her first year as the full-time starter. She has a .830 save percentage, which ranks second in the conference. As well, her eight clean sheets are tied for the most in the conference.

Strength

Defense. Iowa has been really good at keeping opponents off the scoresheet this season. Its opponents average just .64 goals per game, which is the third-lowest average in the conference.

Weakness

Reckless challenges. The Hawkeyes have struggled to stay out of the referees book. They average 13.8 fouls per game, by far the most in the conference.

Three things to watch

1. Can Maryland stay composed in the final 10 minutes? Maryland had a chance to win or tie the game with under 10 minutes remaining in each of the past two games, but its instead committed timely errors

If the Terps find themselves in a similar situation Sunday, it will be interesting to see if they can learn from their recent mistakes.

2. Can the Terps finally score? With only three games left in the season, Maryland is still without a goal in Big Ten play. Its attack looked more cohesive against Nebraska, but you need to score to win games.

3. Will the young talent get looks? With the season nearing its end, and a postseason appearance all but out of the question, it might be time for head coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer to look toward the future and give players apart of her top-10 recruiting class playing time.