By Wesley Schnell
COLLEGE PARK, MD — Maryland men’s soccer welcomed the No. 8 Wisconsin into College Park for the first Big Ten game of the season. The Terps started their conference slate in grand fashion, with a dominant 3-0 victory over the Badgers.
“We were highly motivated to start the Big Ten season,” said Cirovski. “We are also coming off the worst season ever in conference play, so we’ve been waiting for a while to start Big Ten play.”
The Badgers (5-1-0) came off a 1-0 win against Kentucky — who was ranked No. 16 at the time — to continue their undefeated season. The Terps (3-1-3) handed them their first loss of the season on Friday night.
Maryland came out ready to attack, earning a corner kick in the first minute of the game.
Max Rodgers lofted the ball into the box and found Bjarne Thieson. The defender sent a shot goalward but it was blocked by the Badger defense. Seconds later, Thieson had another good look from inside the box but missed wide.
Wisconsin quickly answered Maryland’s early attack with their first shot on target in the 6th minute. Maryland goalkeeper Laurin Mack saved the effort out of bounds, giving the Badgers their first corner kick of the game.
In the 16th minute, the Terps intercepted a Wisconsin pass, setting them up with a favorable counterattack led by Max Rodgers. The graduate student ripped a shot from outside the box that was denied by the post.
Following that shot, Rodgers sent in the corner kick that found junior defensive midfielder Chris Steinleitner, who drilled the ball into the bottom right corner to give Maryland an early 1-0 lead.
It was an impressive first half defensively for the Terps, as they held the Badgers — who lead the Big Ten in goals scored this season — scoreless with just one shot on target. Maryland also limited Wisconsin to just two corner kicks throughout the opening 45 minutes.
The Terps wasted no time in the second half.
The home side doubled its advantage in the 47th minute off a header by Thieson — the defender’s first goal of the season. Steinleitner and Max Rogers were both credited with an assist.
Just five minutes later, forward Colin Griffith put the breaks on at the top of the box and nailed a shot into the top right corner. Griffith’s goal — from a Rogers assist — gave the Terps a commanding 3-0 lead less than ten minutes into the second half. Friday was Griffith’s second consecutive game with a goal.
The Badgers had their first scoring chance of the second half in the 56th minute. A corner kick was sent into the box and headed by defender Ellis Jones but he sent it just above the crossbar.
The Badgers had no answer for Maryland’s stout defense, finishing with just one shot on goal in the second half. Mack’s strong play between the sticks earned the freshman his second clean sheet of the season.
The Terps closed out their six game homestand on a high note after picking up their most dominant win of the season — against a top-ten opponent no less.
“[I was] absolutely delighted with the effort,” said Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski. “That was our best performance of the year. It was a complete effort from beginning to end.”
Maryland will head west to Bloomington, IN to continue Big Ten play against the Hoosiers next Friday.
