Maryland Men's Soccer Meets Richmond Friday At 7:00 p.m.
8/23/2001 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 23, 2001
Preseason Highlights
* Soccer America's No. 15 Terps host Richmond in the last exhibition contest before the men's soccer team opens its regular season schedule Friday, Aug. 31, at the Virginia/Coca-Cola Classic Tournament. Maryland meets 2000 NCAA qualifier UCLA in the opening round at 5 p.m. and will conclude tournament action against Liberty on Sept. 2 at noon.
* For the Terps, Friday's game is the second exhibition this year. Maryland traveled to Georgetown on Aug. 19, and defeated the Hoyas 3-0. Redshirt-sophomore Scott Buete (Bowie, Md.) scored off a feed from freshman Michael Dello-Russo (Columbia, Md.) and redshirt-sophomore A.J. Herrera (Albuquerque, N.M.) at the six-minute mark. Siba Mohammed (Tamale, Ghana) netted the Terps' second goal off an assist from redshirt-sophomore Sumed Ibrahim (Tamale, Ghana) at 34:00. Siba Mohammed returned the favor in the third and final 30-minuite period, assisting on Maryland's third goal by Sumed Ibrahim in the 67th minute.
* Maryland will be home for the first time during the regular season on Sept. 7-9 when they host the Maryland/FILA Invitational for the second time. Virginia and American square-off at 5:00 p.m. on Sept. 7, with the Terps meeting 2000 College Cup finalist Creighton at 7:30 p.m. Virginia meets the Blue Jays on Sunday, Sept. 9 at noon, with Maryland and American rounding out tournament action at 2:30 p.m. Can't get enough soccer? Then stay around on Sept. 9 for the Maryland women's game against East Carolina. The Terps and Pirates will round-out the tripleheader at 7 p.m. at Ludwig Field.
Remember Us?
* The Terrapin sophomore class has just one question for you... do you remember us? If not, they're going to do all they can to give opposing teams healthy reminders throughout the season. Four members of last year's sophomore class, in addition to two other returning Terps, received medical redshirts after enduring everything from knee to toe to foot injuries last season. Scott Buete (Bowie, Md.), A.J. Herrera (Albuquerque, N.M.), Sumed Ibrahim (Tamale, Ghana), and Siba Mohammed (Tamale, Ghana) all had to forgo their sophomore seasons last year because of stress fractures in their feet (Buete and Herrera) and nagging knee injuries (Sumed Ibrahim, Siba Mohammed). All have returned to the line-up this season, adding to the deceivingly youthful look of the Terps. Maryland has nine freshman and nine sophomores listed on the roster this season, despite the fact that some of those "underclassmen" have more experience than it may appear.
Who to Watch
* The Terps return 12 letterwinners this year, and have a lot to be excited about. Strikers A.J. Herrera and Abe Thompson (Fairfax Station, Va.) look to be among the top tandems in the country up front. Herrera took a medical redshirt last season, but entered the 2000 season as the Terps' top returning scorer with five goals and five assists. Thompson led the Terps last year with 13 goals and five assists. His 31 pts. were the 10th-highest single-season total in Maryland history.
* You want defense- the Terps have it. Despite the loss of Nick Downing (1998-2000), who opted to forgo his final college season to joins MLS, and the graduation of Mike Shebuski (1997-2000), a starter for the Terps the past two seasons, Maryland's defense will still be one of its strongest assets. Three-year captain Beckett Hollenbach (Havertown, Pa.) and sophomore Philip Salyer (Dallas, Texas), who is fresh off a spring and summer with the U.S. Under-20 team, will anchor the Terps' defense. Both Salyer and Hollenbach will be essential on-field leaders and organizers in the back.
* The midfield, a pivotal spot for any team, is perhaps where the largest potential lies. For the Terps, it is the area with the most questionmarks, as well. Gone are gritty midfielder Jason Sardis (1997-2000), and all-ACC pick Rob Birch (1997-2000). Head coach Sasho Cirovski will now look to Ghana-natives Sumed Ibrahim and Siba Mohammed who return from injuries this season. The pair will join a healthy Scott Buete, as well as Bryan Vitagliano (Scottsdale, Ariz.) should he overcome a preseason back condition. Once the unit gets experience together, the Terps should flourish in this area.
* Maryland's goalkeeper position will be the most hotly contested of any on the field. Kevin Schmidt (Westfield, N.J.) returns as the veteran of the crew as a redshirt-junior who has played primarily a back-up roll to 1998-2000 starter Christian Lewis (1997-2000). Noah Palmer (Williamsburg, Va.) and Craig Salvati (West Chester, Ohio) are the two new faces at the keeper spot, and will create a competitive atmosphere for the starting spot.
Preseason Honors
Several Terps have received preseason honors from various online publications. Here's a short round-up:
Beckett Hollenbach
Third team All-American College Soccer News
Honorable mention All-American College Soccer Online
Abe Thompson
Honorable mention All-American College Soccer Online
One of the "21 finishers to keep an eye on in 2001" according to College Soccer News
Philip Salyer
Honorable mention All-American College Soccer Online
Terps Fourth ACC Preseason
Maryland has been picked fifth by the Atlantic Coast Conference coaches in their annual preseason poll. 2000 conference champion North Carolina led all vote-getters with 42 and occupied the top spot. Virginia followed at No. 2, with Clemson at No. 3 and the Terps at No. 4.
ACC Men's Soccer Preseason Poll
Team Pts. 2000 Record
1. North Carolina 42 21-3-0, 5-1 ACC/1st
2. Virginia 39 17-6-1, 5-1 ACC/2nd
3. Clemson 37 14-4-2, 3-3 ACC/4th
4. Maryland 30 10-9-0, 1-5 ACC/6th
5. Duke 26 15-6-0, 5-1 ACC/3rd
6. Wake Forest 15 10-7-2, 2-4 ACC/5th
7. NC State 7 3-12-3, 0-6 ACC/7th
New Faces, New Places
* The Terps have nine new faces this season, including two Texas natives and three Maryland residents.
* As far as the freshman are concerned, Michael Dello-Russo (Columbia, Md.) has a spring-up, so to say. Dello-Russo graduated early from Wilde Lake HS and joined the Terps for spring practice, as well, getting a jumpstart on his classmates.
* Despite his sophomore status, Robert Sjolund (Borlang, Sweden) is a newcomer this year for the Terrapins.
* Sophomore Seth Stammler (Gahanna, Ohio) will see the field from a whole different view this year after being switched from the striker position where he played last year to the defense. Stammler made the transition this spring, and should be ready to take the field in the back this fall.
A View from the Back
Senior captain Beckett Hollenbach and junior goalkeeper Kevin Schmidt are the only upperclassmen on this year's men's soccer roster. Throughout the year, Hollenbach and Schmidt will be giving Terrapin fans and friends an inside look at life as a Terp soccer player. Visit umterps.com regulary to keep up with this defenseman/goalkeeper tandem and their "View from the Back" journal.
Captain Beckett Hollenbach
Serving his third year as team captain, Beckett Hollenbach is the lone senior for this year's Terrapin team. A four-year starter on defense, he returns as the veteran player in a cast of 12 returning letterwinners. Hollenbach has tallied three goals and 11 assists for his career. A 1999 All-ACC selection, Hollenbach has also received accolades from Soccer America and the NSCAA during his career at Maryland. A preseason third-team All-American by College Soccer News and an honorable mention All-American by College Soccer Online, Hollenbach is primed to have a great senior season to prepare the Pennsylvania native for his professional future. In addition to his on-field accomplishments, he will graduate in 3˝ years this December with his degree in finance.
