Maryland women’s soccer vs. Towson preview

Over the last few weeks, Maryland women’s soccer has been unable to close out games. That streak continued on Thursday when the Terps drew their third game in a row.

The Terps looked aggressive against VCU on the road, but as the game continued on, the team took its foot off the gas pedal and invited a run from the Rams. VCU was unable to capitalize, though, as a header from midfielder Milica Bulatovic crashed off the post in the final 10 minutes, preserving a 0-0 tie.

Maryland now travels back home to take on Towson. The game is scheduled for Sunday at 1 p.m. and will be streamed on Big Ten Plus.

Towson (4-0, 0-0 CAA)

2022 record: 12-3-5 (4-1-4 CAA)

The Tigers are coming off of their best season in decades under head coach Katherine Vettori, during which they tallied 12 wins. Towson has continued that success this year with a perfect 4-0 record.

Players to watch

Jasmine Hamid, senior forward, No. 8 — Hamid’s been on fire to start her senior season. She’s scored six goals in four games, which leads the Colonial Athletic Association. She also leads the conference in shots (22) and shots on goal (10).

Phoebe Canoles, redshirt senior midfielder/forward, No. 5 — Over the last three years, Canoles has never been left off an All-CAA team. Last season, she made the All-CAA second team while racking up nine goals and seven assists in 20 games. She already has four goals and three assists this year.

Riley Melendez, senior goalkeeper, No. 1 — Last season, Melendez was named the CAA Goalkeeper of the Year after allowing just 11 goals with a .847 save percentage. This year, she has only given up two goals through four games.

Strength

Defense. Last season, the Tigers were extremely efficient on defense, recording a goals against average of .55 per game. Towson ranked ninth in the conference in saves, though, as the back line often squandered shot attempts.

Weakness

Lack of competition. Thus far, Towson has not faced a ranked opponent. Its four prior opponents have a combined record of 6-11-2.

Three things to watch

1. Can Beardsley keep a clean sheet? The lack of shutouts for Maryland goalkeeper Liz Beardsley has been disappointing so far this season. She allowed goals in three of the first five games — giving up a total of six goals — but didn’t allow any last game. If the back line can avoid another late-game collapse, she should not have a problem doing so.

2. Will the shots keep coming? Even though Maryland is not winning, the Terps have been putting up a lot of shots. In the last three games, they managed to put up double-digit shots while outshooting their opponent.

3. Is the team improving? So far this season, head coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer has been excited with the amount of growth she’s seen from the team. But without any wins under their belt, it’s hard to say whether the Terps are actually improving. Maryland will once again have an opportunity to prove itself against Towson.