Terrapins Enter Crucial Week With Two Regional Foes Ahead
10/9/2000 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 9, 2000
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College Park, Md. - Coming off a 5-1 loss to No. 10 North Carolina and carrying a 5-6 record into the second week of October, the Maryland men's soccer team enters a week void of ACC contests but rich with regional possibilities. The Terrapins face two opponents this week, both from the South Atlantic region, yielding an excellent opportunity for the young and hungry Terps to rise in the regional standings.
George Mason is Maryland's first hurdle of the week, coming to Ludwig Field on Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. to complete the second men's/women's doubleheader at Maryland this year. The Terrapin women open the night of soccer action with Howard at 5 p.m. with the men to follow against the Patriots. Maryland then takes the short three-hour trip to Richmond to meet Virginia Commonwealth on Saturday at 7 p.m. to round-out action this week.
The Maryland/George Mason Series
Despite the close proximity of the two schools, George Mason and Maryland have only met eight times before Wednesday's match-up. The Patriots are one of only a small percentage of NCAA opponents that holds an advantage in their series with Maryland. That could all change this year, however as the Terps look to even it up.
A series that started in 1986 with a postseason match-up has Maryland behind only one game after its 3-1 win last season. The two teams have met four times during the Sasho Cirovski era yielding three Terp wins, all by more than one goal, including a 3-1 victory last year in Fairfax. Maryland is 2-1-1 when playing at George Mason, including a postseason loss in 1986 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. During the month of October, the Terrapins are 3-1-1. Maryland has won the last three match-ups.
Series Between Maryland and George Mason (Maryland trails 3-4-1) October 13, 1999 at George Mason W 3-1 October 7, 1998 at Maryland W 3-0 October. 8, 1997 at George Mason W 2-0 August 30, 1996 at Maryland L 1-2 October 29, 1989 at Maryland L 1-0 October 29, 1988 at George Mason T 1-1 OT November 1, 1987 at Maryland L 0-1 November 5, 1986-1 at George Mason L 1-2 1- NCAA First Round
The Patriots in 2000
George Mason (7-4) is fresh off a 4-3 overtime loss to William & Mary on Saturday afternoon. Eduardo Lima is the Patriots' leading scorer with 12 goals and two assists heading into Wednesday's South Atlantic Region action. Rich Gaskin mans the goal for GMU, holding down a 0.708 save percentage, and a 1.88 goals against average in 11 starts. He has also posted three shutouts on the way to his 7-4 record.
Thompson's First Career Hat Trick
Freshman striker Abe Thompson (Fairfax Station, Va.) netted his first career hat trick in the Terps' 5-1 victory over Monmouth on Oct. 4. The three-goal performance was the first-ever hat trick at Ludwig Field, and is the Terps' first hat trick since 1994 when Shane Dougherty (1995-96) hit for three at Denton Field in Maryland's 5-0 defeat of Butler. Thompson scored all three of his goals in the second half on Wednesday, which is also a Ludwig Field record for goals in a half by an individual.
Salyer Explodes For Terrapins
Freshman Philip Salyer (Dallas, Texas), who has been a key addition to the Maryland defense this season, proved once again in the UNC game that moving him to the midfield was a good idea, too. Since the move, Salyer has showed his offensive prowess, scoring four goals in the past four games. Salyer scored twice in Maryland's 3-0 win over American on Sept. 27, notching Maryland's first and last goals of the day. The U-20 national team member also tied the game at three for the Terrapins on Oct.1 against Wake Forest. Against North Carolina on Oct. 7, he scored the Terps' only goal of the day to move him into the No. 3 spot on the Terps' scoring chart this season.
Freshmen Trio Lead Scoring
The top three Terrapin scorers, and four of the top five, are freshman on the Maryland roster this season. Abe Thompson leads the Terps with six goals and two assists, with classmate Bryan Vitagliano (Scottsdale, Ariz.) second with four goals and three assists. Freshmen Philip Salyer moved into the No. 3 spot after scoring against Carolina over the weekend. Rob Birch (West Islip, N.Y.) represents the only upperclassmen in the top 5, after his goal against Monmouth gave him three for the year, while freshman Clarence Goodson (Springfield, Va.) rounds out the Terps' top five scorers heading into the George Mason game.
Christian Lewis' Journal
Don't forget to follow the Terps from an inside prospective by checking Christian Lewis' season-long journal for new updates. The Maryland native will post his thoughts at least once a week on umterps.com, the official athletic site of Maryland athletics. Through five entires, the Terps have already been tested continually, drawing them closer together through it all. Don't miss another word as the season unfolds!
