Maryland (3-4-5)Â at Michigan (6-2-3)
October 1, 2023
U-M Soccer Stadium
12:00 p.m.
B1G+
COLLEGE PARK, MDÂ --Â Maryland finishes its two game road trip with another matchup in the State of Michigan. The Terrapins travel to Ann Arbor on Sunday to face the No. 22-ranked Wolverines in their fifth conference game of the campaign. The last time the Terrapins defeated a ranked team came on the road in a 3-2 victory over #20 Rutgers back in 2019.
The game will air on
B1G+.
The Terps are coming off a defeat on Thursday at the hands of Michigan State. Liz Beardsley had a busy game on Thursday as the goalkeeper picked up four saves in the contest. Freshman defender Kennedy Bell led the charge for the offense, as she put both of her shots on frame, but couldn't get her first career goal.
Series History - Michigan
- The Terrapins and the Wolverines have met nine times in the series, with all nine games coming since the Terrapins joined the Big Ten.
- The Terrapins trail in the series all-time, but won the most recent meeting back in 2022. The Terps took a 1-0 win over the Wolverines at Ludwig last season to get their first win ever in the matchup.
- Mikayla Dayes scored the winning goal for the Terps in the 70th minute. Goalkeeper Madeline Smith was key in goal for the Terps finishing the game with five saves The biggest save for Smith came in the final 10 minutes of play as it solidified the victory for the Terps.
The Terrapins got their first-ever win in against Michigan last season in Ludwig in a 1-0 victory. Mikay;a Dayes scored the game-winning goal for the Terps in the 70th minute to help lead them to the win.
Last Time Out
- The Terrapins played their first game of their two-game road trip on Thursday, as they took on Michigan State in East Lansing. The Terrapins battled all game, but came out with the loss against the Spartans.
- Liz Beardsley had four saves in the match, giving the junior goalkeeper 39 saves on the year.
- The first chance for the Terps came in the 31st minute, as Kennedy Bell took the ball from the midfield and attacked towards the box. Bell took the shot on her weak foot, but the Spartans' keeper was just able to get to the shot.
- The next huge chance for the Terps came in the 71st minute, as Kennedy Bell ripped a shot at goal that needed to be parried away by the goalkeeper.
- Bell created another huge chance for the Terps in the 57th minute, but her attempt on goal dipped late and hit the crossbar. Four minutes later, Hannah Schapiro found space in the box and attempted to put a header on frame, but just missed the target.
Kennedy Bell set up the two most impactful chances for the Terps in their loss on to Michigan State on Thursday.Â
Youth Movement
- The Terrapins have integrated many of its no. 11 overall recruiting class into the lineup throughout the season. Many of these newcomers have played key roles in the squad.
- Kennedy Bell is the only member of the freshman class to start and play in every game. The freshman defender has started all 12 games for the Terps and is second on the team in minutes played with 1,054. Bell picked up her first career assist on Maryland's game-winning goal against Towson.
- Peyton Bernard is close behind Bell having started 11 out of Maryland's 12 games this year. Bernard leads the Terps in assists this year with two. Madison Krakower has started nine games this year and has one goal on the season.
- Lisa McIntyre has started seven out of the 12 games she has played in for the Terps this year. McIntyre scored both of her goals this year in the same game, coming in Maryland's match against James Madison. Isabel DiPrima has played in eleven matches and started six. DiPrima has been a key contributor for the Terps in the midfield.
Â
Â
Lisa McIntyre is tied for second on the team with two goals this year. The freshman also has one assist on the year, giving her five points on the season. McIntyre has played in all 12 games this year and made seven starts.
Scouting the Wolverines
- The Wolverines came into this meeting after a 1-1 draw against #4 Penn State on Thursday. The Wolverines have a 6-2-3 record on the season and come into the game as the no. 22-ranked team in the country.
- Sammi Woods leads the Wolverines in goals this season with five. Woods also has one assist on the year, bringing her season points total to 11 which also leads the team. Gabrielle Prych has four goals and two assists in 2023, giving the freshman 10 points this season. Junior Avery Peters leads the Wolverines with four assists, which ranks in the top-10 in the Big Ten.
- In goal Michigan is led by Stephanie Sparkowski. Sparkowski has 53 saves on the year, which is tops in the conference. Sparkowski has a save percentage of 0.869, which is the third-best mark in the conference and the 20th-best in the nation. Sparkowski has a GAA of 0.73, which is fifth in the Big ten and pairs with a strong defense that has only allowed eight goals on the season.
Former Terp Realizes Worl Cup Dreams
- Maryland goalkeeper Yewande Balogun starred in between the sticks for the Terrapins from 2007-2011 and achieved multiple accolades in her Maryland career
- Balogun helped lead the Terrapins to three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen berth in 2011. Balogun still holds the record for the lowest goals against average in a career at 0.93. Balogun also ranks in the top ten all-time in goalie games played (67, third), goalie games started (64, third), goalie minutes played (6,063, third), shutouts (19, second), and saves (242, sixth). In her first year with the Terps in 2007, Balogun earned Freshman All-American and All-ACC Freshman honors.
- After finishing her Maryland career, Balogun dealt with injuries at the end of her career and believed her career as a soccer player was over. Balogun got into coaching starting in 2015, coaching with American University, UC Davis, and her Maryland Terrapins.
- Balogun earned a spot on the California Storm, a semi-pro team out west as their starting goalkeeper nearly 10 years after her playing career had ended after college. A month after Balogun joined the Storm, Nigeria came to the United States for a series of games in 2021. Nigeria had difficulties getting players into the country during 2021 and needed a goalkeeper on the squad. Balogun received a call from the Nigerian national team and earned a spot on their roster.
- After that experience, Balogun continued to get called into Nigerian national team training camps. Balogun gave up coaching to focus on professional soccer and in the summer of 2022, signed with AS Saint Etienne in France.
- Balogun earned a call-up to the national team ahead of the 2023 World Cup. As a member of the team, she helped Nigeria finish unbeaten for the first time in the country's history of participating in the world cup and earn a spot in the Round of 16.
Yewande Balogun continues to represent the Terps on the international stage. Balogun plays professionally for St. Etienne in France and represented her home country the Nigerian National Team at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Click here for this week's game notes.
