Michigan State University
6-3-1/0-3-1
Maryland
3-3-2/1-1-1
Women's Soccer ties Maryland, 0-0
9/21/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Goalkeeper Courtney Clem was outstanding, facing 23 shots, making six saves. The fifth-year senior picked up her fourth shutout of the season and is now tied for second in the conference in that category. Clem also continues to lead the league in saves with 55.
Coming off a hard-fought game at Rutgers on Friday, the Spartans we're dealing with tired legs and injuries and had to rely on their bench for significant minutes. Michigan State played 19 players in total on the afternoon; the most they've played in a Big Ten game this season.
"It was a true team performance today, going deep into our bench," said MSU head coach Tom Saxton. "We had to use a lot of players and gut out an important tie against a very good team. Courtney [Clem] hung in there after getting taken down a few times. They we're really coming after our goalie, so credit her for maintaining composure and coming up big for us in a couple of crucial moments."
The Spartans started the game off strong with multiple chances in the opening minutes.
In the second minute, senior forward Paige Wester pushed a ball to herself past a defender creating a partial breakaway that she shot just wide of the goal.
MSU kept up the pressure in the fourth minute when junior defender Alexandra Gjonaj played a great ball over the top to Krause who struck it on net but was stopped by the Terrapins' keeper.
The Spartans came out with the same urgency in the second half, playing multiple balls into the box but unable to connect on them.
As the game wore on, Maryland began to push forward, putting the pressure on the Spartans backline.
Maryland nearly made it 1-0 in the 88th minute when senior Shade Pratt crossed a ball across the six yard box but was cleared away from danger by the Spartans defense.
With 90 minutes solving nothing, the teams headed to overtime where Maryland continued to put the pressure on the Spartans
Clem made her biggest save of the day in the 97th minute when Pratt crossed a ball to junior Sarah Fichtner, who sent a diving header into the bottom right corner only to be denied by a diving Clem.
A handball outside the box on Maryland with 50 seconds remaining in the second overtime gave Michigan State their best chance of the session but was struck over the bar by junior Kirsten Evans.
The Spartans will be back on the road next weekend when they make the short trip to Ann Arbor to take on the Michigan Wolverines (7-2-0). Game time is set for 7 p.m., Saturday evening at U-M Soccer Stadium.
