Maryland Continues Conference Play with Home Matchup Against Purdue

Maryland (3-2-4) vs Purdue (3-6-0)

September 21, 2023

Ludwig Field

7:00 p.m.

B1G+

COLLEGE PARK, MD - Maryland appears in its 2023 Big Ten home opener on Thursday, Sept. 21 as it welcomes Purdue to Ludwig Field. Thursday's game will also be a red out, with the Terps donning their red uniforms.

The game will air on B1G+.

The Terrapins are coming off a 4-0 loss on the road to Penn State last week and look to pick up their first conference victory. Before the Terrapins loss last Friday, they were coming off a three-game win streak which was their first three game win streak heading into conference play since 2017.

Series History - Purdue

The Terrapins and the Boilermakers have met seven times, all coming since the Terrapins moved to the Big Ten in 2014. Purdue holds a small advantage in the series, leading with a 4-3 record.
The Terps won the last meeting against the Boilermakers last season with a 3-1 score line. Including last season's win in West Lafayette, the Terps have won two out of their last three meetings with Purdue.
In last year's meeting, the Terrapins took a 3-1 victory on the road over Purdue to close out the 2022 season. Ava Morales led the Terrapins with a brace on the afternoon, with her first goal coming just under six minutes into the match. Morales added her second goal of the match later in the first half to give Maryland a lead it would hold onto for the rest of the outing. Alyssa Poarch added an insurance goal in the 65th minute to put Maryland up 3-1.

Ava Morales Races Through Purdue Defense

Ava Morales scored two goals in last season's meeting on the road against Purdue. Morales' two goal effort in thematch helped the Terrapins close out the 2022 season with a 3-1 victory.

Last Time Out

The Terrapins began Big Ten play with a road matchup against #6 Penn State.
Junior goalkeeper Liz Beardsley did her best to keep the Terps in the game with a career-high eight saves on the evening. Beardsley's busy day in goal was not enough to give the Terps the win, as they fell to the Nittany Lions by a score of 4-0.
The first major opportunity for the Terps came in the 12th minute, as Kennedy Bell stole the ball in midfield and raced towards goal. Bell attempted to drag the shot towards the back post, but her shot just missed the target.
The Terps had another chance in the 86th minute to get on the board, but Ava Morales' effort did not find the target.

Defender Kennedy Bell (18) UMD Women's Soccer vs. George Mason at Ludwig Field in College Park, MD on Thursday, Sep. 7, 2023. Chris Lyons/Maryland Terrapins

Freshman Kennedy Bell has started in all nine games this season for the Terrapins. The defender has one assist on the year and has amassed 800 minutes of game action. Bell has also been a key member of the Terrapins defense that has kept five clean sheets so far this season.

Tough Between the Sticks

Transfer goalkeeper Liz Beardsley continues to be a key force in goal for Maryland this season. Beardsley did her part in Maryland's Big Ten opener to keep the Terps in the match by making a career high eight saves.
Beardsley has been in goal for five shutouts this season. That number leads the Big Ten and is tied for the twelfth-most in the nation.
Beardsley is the first Maryland goalkeeper since Rachel Egyed in 2017 to have five shutouts in a single season. Before their match last Friday, Beardsley had helped lead the Terrapins to four straight shutouts. The last time the Terrapins have had a shutout streak of four games or longer was in 2011, when the Terps began the season with six consecutive shutouts.

Goalkeeper Liz Beardsley (17) UMD Women's Soccer vs. Towson at Ludwig Field in College Park, MD on Sunday, Sep. 3, 2023. Chris Lyons/Maryland Terrapins

Liz Beardsley was strong in goal for the Terps against Penn State, with the junior goalkeeper making a career-high eight saves. Beardsley has also been in goal for all five shutouts for the Terps, becoming the first Maryland goalkeeper since Rachel Egyed in 2017 to have five shutouts in a season.

Terps in The National Rankings

The Terrapins are one of the more disciplined teams in the nation, averaging 6.11 fouls per game. That mark is the 17th-fewest in the nation and the second-best mark in the Big Ten.
Ava Morales' two game-winning goals this season puts the sophomore in the top 50 of players nationally. Morales also ranks second in the conference in game-winning goals.
Freshman Maddie Krakower has been one of the more accurate players in the nation, with a shot accuracy of 0.63. That mark puts her in the top-50 in the nation, while also ranking as the third-best mark within the Big Ten.

Maddie Krakower

Scouting the Boilermakers

The Boilermakers come into this matchup with a 3-6 record overall. Like the Terrapins, they are coming of a loss in their Big Ten opener after a 1-0 defeat to #18 Northwestern.
Kayla Burdish and Gracie Dunaway lead Purdue with three goal each so far this season. Burdish also has two assist to pair with her three goals on the season, which comes out to a team leading eight points this year. The assist leader for Purdue is Emily Matthews, who comes into Thursday's meeting with four on the campaign. Matthews' four assist also rank as the seventh-most in the Big Ten.
In goal Purdue is led by Charlotte Cyr, who has 26 saves this season and a GAA of 1.67 this year. The graduate transfer from Dartmouth has started in 35 games in her career.