No. 15 Maryland men’s soccer hosted No. 13 Michigan to Ludwig Field Friday night for a highly contested conference matchup. The Wolverines took down the Terps last season, winning the match 2-0 in Ann Arbor and looked to do the same and spoil the Terps’ undefeated season.
However, Michigan failed, as the Terps secured the win, 2-0.
The Terps came into this match with a +17 goal differential, which ranks second in the Big Ten and ninth in the nation and it showed on Friday.
The game got off to a hot start, with a lot of back-and-forth action. The Terps held possession of the ball for the majority of the first half, limiting Michigan’s chances.
After two quick shots and a corner kick by the Terps, the Wolverines tested Maryland’s goalkeeper as soon as they got possession. Shuma Sasaki took a dangerous, sharp-angled shot from just outside the box, but Mack fended it off. This would go on to be Michigan’s only shot of the first half.
The first half of action consisted of two momentum killers for the Terps
In the 13th minute, the Terps thought they struck first. Off a textbook give-and-go between Chris Steinleitner and Luca Costabile, Costabile buried a point-blank shot, but it was spoiled due to an offside call, keeping the game scoreless
In the 34th minute, junior Leon Koehl led freshman Rocket Ritaria on a pass toward the goal line. Ritaria then fed junior Luke van Heukelum, who scored an empty-netter. However, it was taken off the board due to another offside call.
Maryland needed to regroup and refocus after two goals being blown dead.
“This is a mature group and I think the players and the staff did a good job today of not letting that moment work against us,” Maryland head coach Sasha Cirovski said. “We just kept seeing the future, that was a good exercise for us to go through because it can really bring you down if you don’t treat that moment the right way.”
In the 56th minute, Wolverines defender Will Baker committed a penalty. Koehl buried a missile right down the middle to give the Terps a one-goal lead early in the first half.
While the Terps scored the game-winning goal in the second half, they were definitely the better team through the first 45 minutes. The ball rarely traveled through the Terps’ defense end, and when it did, seniors Lasse Kelp and Tristen Rose shut the door on Michigan’s offense.
Throughout the second half, the Terps continued to move the ball around the pitch cleanly, generating opportunities near the box. They also contained Michigan, not allowing them to break out of their defensive half.
Towards the back end of the second half, senior Albi Ndrenika assisted sophomore Stephan Njike with a back heel flip to lead Njike on a breakaway. Njike then found the back right corner of the net to score his fourth goal of the season, tying senior Sadam Masereka for the most goals on the team.
With the win, the Terps continue their dominant, undefeated season, as they improve to 7-0-3, while the Wolverines suffer their second loss of the season, dropping to 6-2-3.
The Terps’ next match is on Tuesday, October 14, at Ludwig Field against Rutgers.
