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After beating Penn State 4-1 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Syracuse (14-5, 4-2 Atlantic Coast) will play in the quarterfinals against No. 5 Maryland (14-6, 4-4 Big Ten). This is the Orange’s first time in the second round since 2016, a year after it won the national title.

On Friday against the Nittany Lions, Syracuse had a slow start in the first half — only scoring one goal — before taking off with three goals during the second. In the game after, Maryland scored two goals in the first three periods against University of Virginia, with the Terrapins maintaining their lead even while the Cavaliers tried to mount a comeback during the fourth period with one goal. 

Here’s what to know about Maryland going into Sunday’s match:

All-time series

Maryland leads 6-2.

Last time they played

With the Orange coming off an undefeated regular season in 2015, they notched their 22nd straight regular season win when they defeated Maryland 4-1 on Aug. 28, 2016. 

Playing in neutral territory at Philadelphia, the Terrapins scored the match’s first goal, a Grace Balsdon penalty kick goal that put her team up 1-0 within the first period against the then-reigning national champions. Syracuse then scored four goals, all with four different players, and netted two of its points through penalty corners, ultimately outshooting Maryland 15-14. Syracuse back Nijsje Venrooy scored the game’s final goal with a corner deflection.

The Terrapins report

Maryland boast one of the nation’s best records at 14-6 and are coming off a 2-1 win against Virginia, the team that broke Syracuse’s nine-game win streak during the regular season. Before the NCAA Tournament, Maryland lost in the Big Ten tournament’s first round against Penn State. 

In 2020, the Terrapins slightly hovered over .500 with a 8-7 record, and the last time Maryland has been in the NCAA Tournament’s second round was 2019. The year before in 2018, the Terrapins were runners up for the national title. 

With Big Ten Freshman of the Year Hope Rose on its roster this season, Maryland defeated No. 2 Michigan 2-1 and cemented itself as one of the top 5 best teams in the country. Rose is one of the four Maryland players which have scored five or more goals this season, with Bibi Donraadt leading her team with 11. The Terrapins’ starting goalkeeper, Noelle Frost, has earned NFHCA Defensive Player of the Week honors twice this season and has accumulated 64 saves — including six against Virginia.

Stat to know: 3 shots on goal

Maryland showed a high-efficiency with shooting on Friday, only launching 3 shots at the Cavalier’s net and capitalizing on two of them. Meanwhile, it took Syracuse 11 shots to convert four total goals against Penn State.

How Syracuse beats Maryland

On Friday, the Orange stayed patient after a first half where they only scored once. Against another top-five opponent like Maryland, who has a defense that’s held out against teams like No. 2 Michigan this season, Syracuse will have to continue its signature high press in the hopes of gaining goals. 

With Pleun Lammers — one of Syracuse’s top scorers — out due to an injury, SU will have to do the same thing it’s done in games all season: keep on shooting, even it means only scoring one or two goals with 15 or more shots. The Terrapins have been far more efficient than Syracuse this year, especially against Virginia, and will have to limit as many corner opportunities as possible for a Maryland team which has feasted on them throughout the season.

Syracuse was able to stop one of the nation’s leading goal scorers with PSU’s Sophia Gladieux, but it will still have to go up against Maryland offensive whose four top scorers have accumulated 31 goals throughout the season. Even if the Orange can’t shoot with an efficient clip, their defense — which has only allowed one goal during the tournament so far — needs to hold up for Syracuse to advance to the semifinals.

Player to watch: Brooke DeBerdine

Brooke DeBerdine may not be Maryland’s leading goal scorer, but the junior midfielder is the Terrapins sole First Team All-Big Ten member and leads her team in assists. She has set up her teammates eight times throughout the season and will serve as one of Maryland’s key offensive weapons. The Lancaster, Pennsylvania, native has also scored six goals throughout the season, including the insurance goal that eventually clutched her team a spot in the NCAA Tournament’s quarterfinals.

Published on November 13, 2021 at 9:18 pm

Contact Christopher: [email protected] | @chrisscargs