Goals, Goals, Goals (Midseason review)

10 goals seems like it would be just what the doctor ordered, going into the very tough ACC season. And although it was only Mount St. Mary's and not North Carolina, Florida State or another ACC powerhouse, I feel like today's game can give the girls a lot of confidence in their ability to create opportunities and score goals off of set pieces in the ACC season, something that has troubled them for the past two years.

My midseason review:

This team is better than 4-3-1 shows, and Coach Pensky knows it. I get the impression he thinks they could be 8-0, and if you look at their three losses, they were all specific miscues that led to one-goal losses. Am I saying they could, or should, be 8-0? No. But this team certainly has the potential to be up there with the ACC, and it'll be fun to see if they can live up to it.

Specific players I've been impressed with? Freshmen Lydia Hastings and Danielle Schulmann have both impressed me with aggressiveness on and off the ball, and specifically ball-handling. Kaila Sciasca's team-leading five goals show the tremendous improvement she made during the off-season. Ashley Grove's ability to create opportunities from the outside, coming off the bench. You have to be impressed with the contributions from the recruiting class, and I get the feeling if they string good plays together consistently, it's a very dangerous team.

What needs work? The defense and the goalkeeping have seemed to be out of sync with each other at times, leading to unneccesary goals and losses. Yewande Balogun has not looked the same as she did a season ago, and putting Mary Casey in net, while a very good goalie, takes one of the Terps top defenders off the back line. If Balogun can get on a roll in the second half, it'll be tough to get it past them.

We'll be unable to join you this week from North Carolina, as the girls open up the ACC season against Wake Forest Thursday and North Carolina Sunday. But we'll be back the weekend after that here in College Park against Florida State and Miami.

As always, tune in to the Brian Pensky show Monday at 3:00 to listen to everything Coach Pensky has to say.

Dartmouth review

There is no doubt that the Terrapins play thus far this season had been somewhat disappointing. They had not been consistently finishing games, and making mental errors, which has led them to lose or tie teams they should have defeated (Bucknell, Elon).

However, Friday’s game against Dartmouth saw a different Terrapins team then we have seen this season. From the beginning, the Terps played considerably more aggressive than in the other games this season, in addition to cutting down on their mental errors. Mary Casey, who was starting in goal for Yewande Balogun for the second straight game, made some outstanding saves to keep the Big Green off the board. Offensively, the Terps had quite a few great scoring opportunities, as they had nine shots on goal. However, they were not able to put one in the net, which has been a common theme for the Terps this season.

The second half, however, is when the team really began to play to their potential. Erika Theisen scored on a header off a fantastic cross from Annesia Faulkner in the 51^st minute. It was a perfectly executed play, something that hasn’t been seen enough from the Terps so far. Later on in the half, when the Terps appeared to be trying to preserve their lead, Dartmouth scored in the 75^th minute to tie the game at one. However, just three minutes later, Danielle Schulmann scored for the Terps. To me, this seemed to be a sign of the team coming into their own. Earlier in the season, the team would likely have lost all confidence after the goal, and would have played not to lose; yesterday they shrugged it off rather quickly. More impressively, after the goal, they continued their aggressive play right through the end of the game. This was the first game where the team played hard for all 90 minutes, and I think we may see a different Terps team for the rest of the season.

A few other thoughts

- Mary Casey started her second straight game as Goalkeeper in favor of Yewande Balogun. In talking to coach Pensky after the game, he said that the change was not as a result of a lingering foot injury that caused Balogun to miss time last season, but rather, because the team needed a change. If that is the case, then you have to wonder about the psyche of Balogun. After coming off such an impressive Freshman season, she has struggled this far, and based on how Casey has preformed, it may be a while before Balogun reclaims her job.

The Freshmen continue to impress. Danielle Schulman scored her second goal of the season, and played very well defensively. Lydia Hastings and Amy O’Sullivan (who hails from my home town of Rochester, New York) had a few good looks on offensive as well. If the Freshmen continue to develop at this rate, this team has a very bright future ahead of them.

Dartmouth Goalkeeper Laurel Peak made some of the most impressive saves I have seen in quite sometime. While the stat sheet will show that she gave up two goals, it does not do her justice, as Peak single handedly kept the Big Green in the game for the majority of the contest.

The next contest is Sunday, against William and Mary, again in Charlottesville. Hal Decoursey and Jenna Shulman will bring you the action on WMUCSports.com starting at 11:40 am

On to Virginia

It's pretty obvious what Maryland has to do to prove victorious this weekend. That obvious answer would be to SCORE. And not just score, but score A LOT.

There are two games coming up this weekend; Friday against Dartmouth, and Sunday against William and Mary. Maryland should not have to worry too much about Dartmouth on Friday. Last year their record was 5-9-2 and Darmouth does not seem to have too much of a recruiting class. This season, the Big Green has only played Monmouth University. Although they did win 3-0, Darmouth goaltender Laurel Peak simply had to make just two saves. However, Maryland cannot take any team lightly as proven by their games against Elon, Bucknell, and American.

While William and Mary has the same record as we do, their competition has been more difficult and their scoring and goalkeeping is strong. Statistically they have had 7 goals out of 54 attempts and according to Soccer America Women's Preseason Poll, they are ranked 25. Their record from last year was solid 15-5-2 and 9 out of 11 starters have returned. Their Coach John Daly, who has been around for 21 seasons is ranked 8th all time among coaches for Division I victories.

Well, enough about the statistics, let's cut to the chase. Maryland needs to use every skill they acquired from the second half of the Temple game..both mentally and physically. Physically, they need to make combo passes, have strong goaltender/defense communication, and take advantage of every corner kick and penalty kick. Mentally, the Terrapins need to remain confident and in control. I am interested to see what Pensky is doing as far as the line up. According to the Diamondback, freshman Becky Kaplan saw time in Case's defender spot in practice on Wednesday, a hint that perhaps Case is starting again for Balogun on Friday. Pensky has only 6 players that have started consistently every game and perhaps will be testing yet another line up this weekend to find one that clicks.

If there would be one player I would like to see Pensky keep in the game, it would be Danielle Schulmann. This under-rated freshman proved herself in the game against Temple. She showed hard work, determination, and speed every time she was given the ball. I think she is a player that really makes a difference on the team because of her determination and excellent use of combo passing, which can ultimately lead to more goals. However, we also cannot disregard the talent of senior Kaila Sciascia and her four goals of the season. Keep them coming, Sciascia.

We'll be in Charlottesville for both games this weekend. Coverage will start at 4:15 Friday, with Hal DeCoursey, Brian Kaufman and Josh Narotsky on the call. Sunday, it'll be Hal with me starting at 11:45, so be sure to tune in as the Terps travel for the first time in the Fall 2008 campaign

Maryland/Temple

After an upsetting early season, many fans, including myself had low expectations for the Terrapins. However, this all changed last Sunday when Maryland proved victorious against Temple University. Not only did the Terrapins manage to beat Temple 2-0, but also the team finally gained something they were lacking all season--confidence.

Now, don't get me wrong, Coach Pensky and his team definitely were confident during pre-season. They walked into the fall with the 14th best recruiting class in the nation. Pensky recruited twelve outstanding freshmen and together they shattered George Mason in their home opener with a score of 5-0. After that game, however, everything seemed to go downhill.

Following two upsetting loses to Bucknell and Elon and a tie to American, Coach Pensky knew something needed to change. Interestingly enough, from my observation and statistically, Maryland dominated EVERY game they played in. For starters, in the Bucknell game, Maryland out shot Bucknell 16-11 and, better yet, Maryland out shot Elon 21-2, only to lose by an unlucky penalty kick. In the American game, Maryland once again out shot their opponent 19-5. How could they get so many opportunities to get these shots but still manage to lose? Pensky knew after these games that something had to be changed and that change is exactly what happened in the Temple game.

Although getting the ball into the net definitely was a major issue, Coach Pensky also focused on other aspects of the game. First, he replaced starting goalkeeper Yewande Balogun with junior defender Mary Casey. At first, I was a bit puzzled as to how this would change the game pace and give Terrapins the ultimate win. However, after reading Hal's post (see below) and truly thinking about the strategy of the game, Pensky really made a wise decision. Casey is a leading defender who is probably more experienced communicating with her fellow teammates than Balogun. This experience and leadership is given to her strictly because of her previous position of defender. Because of her communication, she may have helped the defense relay strategic messages to the rest of her teammates, eventually leading to the team's ability to get more goals.

Another move that Pensky made which proved to be victorious was allowing Aimee Bresani to take the corner kick. Maryland had a total of 11 corner kicks all game and needed to take advantage of at least one for a winning opportunity. Bresani had excellent placement of the ball and knew exactly what had to be done in order to take advantage of that play. Lastly, Pensky switched up the starting line up by putting in freshmen Domonique Vellutato and Danielle Schulmann. This allowed for something else to be accomplished that the Terps have not done all season--combo passing. With only about 13 minutes left to go in the game, Sade Ayinde teamed up with Vellutato to serve the ball to Schulmann who finished the ball into the net and earn the Terrapin's their second goal. These combo passes were necessary because Maryland in the past seemed to just kick the ball without quite thinking in hopes for a goal, rather than take their time and set up their plays.

Once again, Maryland dominated and out shot the Owls 27-2. Although only two goals out of 27 may not be that many, it was definitely enough to give the Terps the confidence they need, especially for this upcoming weekend. The Terrapins, now with a record of 2-2-1 looked all smiles when they left Ludwig field last Saturday. Hopefully, after this weekend, the smile will not leave their faces. All they need is to get those soccer balls into the net and Pensky and his team will leave Virginia feeling happy...

American game ended in a 1-1 tie. Coach Pensky sounded not particularly impressed with his team's effort from the get-go, and it was another example of the team not taking advantage of multiple opportunities.

I'll have a bigger breakdown after the weekend, but wanted to officially announce The Coach Brian Pensky Show on WMUCSports. 3:00 on Monday, Coach Pensky and members of the crew will talk the talk and break down the team. I encourage you to listen for another inside look at the team

Coming back strong

Since I last posted before the Bucknell game, it seems almost as if the team has had a 180 degree turnaround. Since then, they've lost two one-goal decisions. Neither showed particularly strong play; certainly not what we saw against George Mason. Two big losses against inferior teams really hurts this team's postseason credibility, and it will take big wins in and out-of-conference to make up for it. And it has to start this weekend against American and Temple.

Here's where I think the team needs to improve:

1: Set pieces. We've seen this (and most of these issues) before; the team can't capitalize on big-opportunity set-pieces near the box; corners, free kicks, etc. Converting even just a few of these would bring huge dividends, but so far we've yet to see many results. The girls are plenty aggressive enough, and I haven't seen much problem in the ball-striking, so I'm looking for better positioning and contact off the kick.

2: Defense-goalie interaction. A few times last weekend, we saw miscommunication between Yewande Balogun and her defenders cost the Terps (an instance with Mary Casey that led to a Bucknell goal comes to mind). This has rarely ever been the case since Balogun arrived on campus last year, and it should turn around quickly; this defense is too good to give up three goals to Bucknell, and Coach Pensky knows it. This should turn around quickly.

3: Shot selection. This is one of the biggest issues I've seen in my two years covering the team. Rather than a shot from 25 yards out, look for the extra pass in to the box. This team can move the ball well enough that it will work out eventually. Patience can be a virtue, and I feel like this, moreso than the others, can be the single problem that can turn the offense around.

There are plenty of things the team did well last weekend; you could argue that they outplayed both Bucknell and Elon. I expect things will turn around this weekend against American and Temple.

Join Brian Kaufman and myself Friday at 5:00 (immediately following Field Hockey) for American, and Shane Connolly and Jenna Shulman Sunday at 12:40 for Temple. Also, look for an official announcement on the Brian Pensky show sometime this week