Box Score COLLEGE PARK, MD - The Terrapins hosted Towson on Sunday afternoon and claimed their first win of the season. In this full-team, 1-0 victory, Maryland's 2023 squad showcased its exciting potential and earned its second-straight shutout. 

Ava Morales scored Maryland's all-important goal, keyed by an electric run and assist from Kennedy Bell. The speedy freshman Bell played very well, unafraid to challenge any of Towson's players. 

51' | Terps 1, Towson 0
Kennedy Bell goes on an amazing run and sets up Ava Morales for her first goal of the year and puts them on top#GRITT pic.twitter.com/SmmDEBDRsI

— Maryland W. Soccer (@TerpsWSoccer) September 3, 2023

Maryland put a halt to Towson's red-hot 4-0 season start, only allowing seven shots and holding off the Tigers' star forward Jasmine Hamid, fresh off of a four-goal outing. 

For a team that's dominated on defense, the Terps demonstrated their offensive abilities in this match. Maryland applied pressure against Towson's defenders throughout the game with aggressive high pressing and takeaways, as well as strong passing near the goal. 

After not having to do much in the first half, Terps goalkeeper Liz Beardsley came up big as the game went on, tallying two saves in the second half to secure Maryland's advantage. 

Breaking Down the Action

• Peyton Bernard and the Maryland forwards kept the pressure on against Towson's back line, forcing multiple early corner kicks. 
• In the 18th minute, Madison Krakower sent a well-placed kick from outside the top of the box, but Towson's goalkeeper made a diving grab to prevent a score. 
• Morales launched a shot in the 32nd minute that flew just above the net. 
• The Terps dominated the possession game for the entire first half, notching 10 shots to Towson's three.
• Maryland's defense held the red-hot Tigers offense to only two shots in the first half. 
• The Terps finally got one through in the 52nd minute off the foot of Morales. Bell dribbled it up all the way from the opposite end of the field and retained possession against an encroaching Towson defender before connecting with Morales, perfectly placed to kick it in from the center of the box. 
• Towson played better on offense in the second half and put up a couple shots on goal, both of which were saved by Maryland's veteran keeper Beardsley. 

Numbers to Know

• 0: Number of first half save attempts by Maryland's goalkeeper Liz Beardsley, signifying the team's lights out defense. 
• 1: The sophomore Ava Morales scored her first goal of the year.  
• 2: Maryland only allowed two shots on goal shots in this game, a commendable feat against a Towson team that's scored 14 goals this season. 
• 8: The Terps had eight corner kicks in this game. 
• 11: Years since the Terps and the nearby Towson Tigers have played each other in women's soccer. Maryland now holds a 7-0-2 series advantage.

Coach Nemzer's Take
"I think overall I'm just feeling pure joy and excitement for this team. I think if you've watched this team over the last couple of games we've shown really well, and we haven't been able to get a result. You know with soccer being a cruel sport we should have won every single game based off the stats, but I'm happy that we put in a good shift for 90 minutes. I'm proud that not only won the first half, but also the second half and completing that for 90 minutes. So, I'm really excited just for the team because they gave stayed the course and they have bought into this process, so I'm really excited to get the result."

Kennedy Bell on What Went Into Setting Up the Game-Winning Goal
"So, something that [Coach Nemzer] and my teammates have instilled in me is that when I'm one-on-one and I have that space, is to just go and I knew they didn't have many numbers back. So, I was like just go and I knew that my teammates were with me. I kind of slowed down to see what I could do and then I was able to get around her and saw Ava along with three other people. That was awesome to see because we have been talking about getting numbers in the box in the final third. So, that confidence from [Coach Nemzer] and my teammates encouraging me to go forward and then working on that final pass all week really paid off.


Up Next

• The Terrapins will be back in Ludwig on Thursday, Sept. 7 as they take on George Mason at 7PM. 
• The Terps lead the all-time series against the Patriots with a 19-6-1 record and won last year's matchup 3-0.