No. 15 Terps' Men's Soccer Meets No. 7 UCLA Aug. 31 At Virginia/Coca-Cola Classic.
8/27/2001 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 27, 2001
Virginia/Coca-Cola Classic: Aug. 31- Sept. 2
FRI., AUG. 31, 2001 * 5:00 p.m., No. 15 Maryland (0-0) vs. 7 UCLA (0-0)
SUN., Sept. 2, 2001 * Noon, No. 15 Maryland (0-0) vs. Liberty (0-0)
Klöckner Stadium (8,000/Grass), Charlottesville, Va.
The Virginia/Coca-Cola Classic Tournament
* Soccer America's No. 15 Terps travel to Charlottesville, Va., to meet No. 7 UCLA in the opening game of the Virginia/Coca-Cola Classic on Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. Maryland takes on Liberty on Sept. 2 at noon to round out tournament action. Maryland won both of its exhibition games leading into the tournament, notching a 3-0 win over Georgetown and a 1-0 victory over Richmond.
* First-time Meetings. The Terps take on two new opponents this weekend in UCLA and Liberty. The last time Maryland met a team from California was in the national semifinals in 1998 when Stanford downed the Terps 1-0.
* August Season Start. The last time the Terps opened the regular season in August was in 1997 when Maryland traveled to Adelphi on Aug. 29 and secured a 5-1 win. Maryland has only started the season in August two other times (1996 and `97).
* Maryland in the 2000 Virginia/Coca-Cola Classic. Maryland went undefeated in last year's Virginia/Coca-Cola Classic, but was edged out by the Cavs for the tournament championship in overall goals scored.
* Individuals in the Virginia/Coca-Cola Classic. Five returning Terps scored points in the 2000 Virginia/Coca-Cola Classic. Scott Buete (Bowie, Md.) led all returners with a goal and two assists. Abe Thompson (Fairfax Station, Va.), A.J. Herrera (Albuquerque, N.M.), and Bryan Vitagliano (Scottsdale, Ariz.) each pitched in with a goal. Beckett Hollenbach (Havertown, Pa.) also tallied two assists. Buete's performance earned him all-tournament team recognition.
Preseason Highlights
* Maryland opened its exhibition season at Georgetown on Aug. 19, and defeated the Hoyas 3-0. Redshirt-sophomore Scott Buete scored off a feed from freshman Michael Dello-Russo (Columbia, Md.) and redshirt-sophomore A.J. Herrera at the six-minute mark. Siba Mohammed (Tamale, Ghana) netted the Terps' second goal off an assist from 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.
* The University of Maryland, Soccer America's No. 15 team, downed Richmond in it's final exhibition contest of the year 1-0 on Aug. 24. Redshirt sophomore A.J. Herrera scored the Terps' only goal of the night with under 15 minutes left to secure the win. Play was scoreless despite several good Terrapin runs until the 70th minute when freshman Michael Dello-Russo took a shot from six yards out that bounced off Richmond keeper Mike Nwaneri. Herrera was there for the easy follow into the lower right corner of the net for the Terrapins' game-winning goal. Dello-Russo and Siba Mohammed were both credited with assists.
Home Sweet Home
* Maryland will be home for the first time during the regular season on Sept. 7-9 when they host the Maryland/FILA Invitational. Virginia and American square-off at 5 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 completing 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 soccer tripleheader at 7 p.m. at Ludwig Field.
