By Wesley Schnell
COLLEGE PARK, MD – Following a 1-1 draw against longtime rival Virginia this past Monday, Maryland men’s soccer continued its homestand Friday night against Brown.
The Terps led for the majority of the match, and even through a second-half equalizer by Brown, Maryland fought back to grab a late goal – securing a 2-1 win in dramatic fashion.
Head coach Sasho Cirovski had high praise for his squad after grinding out the victory.
“I like our locker room, I like the culture of our team. We’ve put in a good shift in every game so far this year,” Cirovski said. “There’s not a single game that I’ve walked away feeling like the guys didn’t put in a good shift.”
The Terps (2-1-2) came out of the tunnel red-hot – applying pressure in the early minutes to win two corner kicks in the first five minutes. Maryland broke the tie just minutes later.
Following a review, the Terps were awarded a penalty kick in the 10th minute. Midfielder Leon Koehl found the back of the net for his first goal of the season, giving Maryland an early 1-0 lead.
The Terps continued their strong attacking half and outshot the Bears (1-1-0) 9-3 in the opening 45 minutes.
Brown applied attacking pressure late in the first half with its first corner kick in the 40th minute. The road team then followed that up a minute later with a deflected shot, saved by Maryland keeper Laurin Mack. A sure-handed Mack saved both of Brown’s shots on goal in the first half.
The Terps’ defense came out strong in the second half, blocking two quick shots to take some weight off of Mack’s shoulders.
Then, yet again, Maryland’s defense came up big in the 63rd minute – just after Brown was awarded a free kick just outside the box. The Terps deflected away the attempt once more to clear away the Bears’ on-goal opportunity.
In the 78th minute, Brown’s strong second half finally broke through – with forward Lorenzo Amaral netting the unassisted equalizer.
A hard foul from the Bears on Kenny Quist-Therson set Maryland up in a great spot, with a free kick just outside the top of the box in the 82nd minute.
Midfielder Max Rodgers stepped up and cashed in his first goal of the season off of a deflection into the top right corner, giving Maryland a late one-score lead (2-1).
“It’s just like resiliency and your mindset to find a winner after … allowing Brown to equalize,” Rodgers said. “A team like Brown is going to have a good year, and they’re always going to push you … we weren’t playing our best football in the second half, but the really great teams find a way to grind out results.”
Thanks to a strong defensive showing from Brown in the second half, Rogers’ free kick was the only shot on target Maryland got in the 45-minute period.
Ultimately, it was the biggest shot of the game.
The Terps’ strong defensive effort in the second half allowed them to hold the 2-1 lead throughout the final minutes and clinch a dramatic home victory.
Maryland men’s soccer continues its six-game homestand at Ludwig Field Monday night at 7:00 p.m., when they face off against San Diego State. Daniel Stein and Luke Dragonette will have the call for WMUC Sports.
