No. 2 Maryland Battles UConn
10/10/2003 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 10, 2003
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CONNECTICUT (5-4-2) vs. #2 MARYLAND (10-1)
Sunday, October 12, 2003 * 1 p.m.
Ludwig Field (4,500/Grass) * College Park, Md.
Television: Comcast SportsNet (Live), CN8 (Tape delay at 3 p.m.)
Audio: www.wmucsports.com
Live Stats: www.umterps.com
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Two of the most successful programs on the East Coast will do battle as Connecticut travels to No. 2 Maryland on Sunday, Oct. 12, for a 1 p.m. battle at Ludwig Field. The game will be televised live by Comcast SportsNet and shown on tape delay by CN8 at 3 p.m.
Maryland and UConn split its two meetings last season, with Maryland ending the Huskies' season in the NCAA Quarterfinals with a 3-0 win at Ludwig Field.
Maryland (10-1) fought back after squandering a two-goal lead on Wednesday to defeat Georgetown 3-2. The Terps, after two early goals from Sumed Ibrahim, controlled play but an opportunistic Georgetown team got back into the game on two set plays. Senior Scott Buete scored put the game-winner in the lower left corner from 18 yards out with just over six minutes to play to lift the Terps to the win.
UConn enters Sunday's match with a 5-4-2 record. The Huskies have won two straight, including a 2-0 win over Virginia Tech on Wednesday. UConn has scored just 10 goals in 11 games, but have only surrendered 12 goals in that same span.
About The Huskies
Of UConn's four losses this season, three have been to ranked teams and all of them have been away from Morrone Stadium. The Huskies have been playing better as of late, defeating Villanova and Virginia Tech in its last two matches.
If UConn is able to get on the board, chances are they are going to win. In games that the Huskies have scored, they are 5-0-1. Connecticut's offense has yet to explode this year, having never scored more than two goals in a game and averaging just 0.86 goals per game.
Andres Rota leads the Huskies with three goals, including two game-winners. The UConn backfield, though, consisting Moshe Shalcon, Glen Carnahan, Willis Forko and Stephen Arias have been solid, allowing just over 1.03 goals per game. Sophomore Adam Schuerman has seen the most action in goal for UConn, starting eight games allowing seven goals and stopping 34 shots. Jamie Verab and Steve Behonick have both started matches this season between the pipes.
Last Time vs. UConn
Maryland (20-4) advanced to the NCAA Men's College Cup for the first time since 1998 with a 3-0 victory over Connecticut (16-6-1) at arctic Ludwig Field.
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Storylines
* Maryland and UConn have met twice in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland won both of those meetings, including last year's quarterfinal win over the Huskies. * UConn has never defeated Maryland in College Park. * UConn is 0-2 against the ACC this season. * Maryland has won 20 in a row at Ludwig. * Including Connecticut, Maryland will have played three of the four teams that it met in last season's run to the College Cup. The Terps have already defeated American and UCLA this season.
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A boisterous crowd of 3,460 saw a gritty second-half Terrapin performance anchored by sophomore forward Domenic Mediate and sophomore keeper Noah Palmer.
Mediate continued his strong postseason play with two goals and forced a Connecticut own goal for the game-clincher in the 82nd minute that sent the biggest crowd in Ludwig Field postseason history into a frenzy.
After an action-packed first half that featured strong play from both netminders to keep the game scoreless, Maryland got on the board 14 minutes into the second half as Mediate gathered a long pass from Seth Stammler and fired from 15 yards past a diving Adam Schuerman. It was Mediate's 12th goal of the season and came just 45 seconds after the Huskies' best scoring chance of the half during a scrum in front of the Maryland net.
Maryland had an excellent chance to extend their lead six minutes later, but Erwin Diaz's 12-yard blast from the right side was brilliantly saved by a fully extended Schuerman to keep the Huskies within reach.
Both teams picked up the physical play in the game's final 20 minutes as the Huskies struggled to score the equalizer.
But, it was Maryland who cinched the game on the own goal as Mediate pressured Connecticut defender Marcus Svensson, whose attempted clearance was deflected back into an open Husky net.
Mediate capped the scoring in the 89th minute as he beat two defenders and slid the ball just over the UConn goal line. Mediate has scored all four of Maryland's postseason goals.
The first 30 minutes of an offensive-minded first half was dominated by the visiting Huskies, as they registered two great scoring chances early. Damani Ralph's strong ninth-minute header was saved by Palmer and Cesar Cuellar's free kick drifted just over the net two minutes later.
The Huskies best chance of the half came in the 19th minute when Leandro de Oliveira's 35-yard rocket hit the outside left post and bounced out of trouble.
Chris Lancos provided the Terrapins' best scoring opportunity in the half as his 8-yard shot was saved by a diving Scheurman, who finished with seven saves.
The Terrapin defense played another strong game, as Palmer held the opponent scoreless for the third consecutive playoff game, also finishing with seven saves.
As time expired, Maryland fans swarmed the field to celebrate with the semifinal-bound Terps.
Last Time Out vs. Georgetown
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Scott Buete scored the game-winner with just over six minutes left to play in regulation to lift No. 2 Maryland to a 3-2 win over Georgetown Wednesday night at Ludwig Field.
The Terps improve to 24-0 against their local rival, but had to battle back after squandering a 2-0 lead early in the match.
"We showed a lot of heart, a lot of character and we found a way to win," head coach Sasho Cirovski said. "I'm very proud of the way our guys responded to a couple of challenges in that game.
"I give Georgetown credit for fighting all the way through. They are a very good team. They have a history of beating some top teams, but I'm glad it wasn't us tonight."
Maryland (10-1) raced out to a 2-0 lead on a pair of identical headers from Sumed Ibrahim. On both goals, Kenney Bertz served the ball perfectly into the box as Sumed was able to beat the Georgetown defenders to a spot eight yards out and put the ball into the net.
The Hoyas (4-6-2) rallied, though, getting onto the scoreboard with a penalty kick at 29:01 by Jeff Curtain. Terp goalkeeper Noah Palmer failed to clear the ball as it deflected off a Georgetown player, who settled the ball and dribbled toward the goal before Palmer dove to knock the ball away but was called for a foul in the box.
 Sumed Ibrahim scored two goals and added an assist on Scott Buete's game-winner against Georgetown. |
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Georgetown silenced the 1,158 fans at Ludwig at 83:44 when Jeff Curtain emerged from a crowd by the left post and found Paul Brandley on the right post who tallied the goal. Maryland continued to put pressure on the Hoyas, and it paid off as Sumed found Buete in the middle of the box. Buete, among several Georgetown defenders, fired the shot into the lower left corner beating Hoya keeper Tim Hogan. Abe Thompson was also credited with an assist on the play.
"Scott has a history of scoring big goals," Cirovski said. "He doesn't score that many, but he scores big goals for us. He's a winner and tremendous leader of that team. He sniffed out were that ball was going to be and placed a hard low shot.
"We've created a nice stage here for people to come and perform on and we're getting people's best games," Cirovski said. "Tonight we were controlling the game, they got the penalty kick call and the game changed a little bit. I don't think we gave them a chance in the flow of play-they scored two goals on set pieces-and that's what happens in this game. But our guys kept their composure, battled and rose to the occasion to find a way to win.
Sumed finished the brilliant night with five points (two goals, one assist). Buete registered two points (one goal) while Bertz' two assists gave him two points for the evening. No. 2 Maryland will be back in action Sunday, Oct. 12, at 1 p.m. for a non-conference battle with UConn. The game, which features a rematch of the NCAA quarterfinals from a year ago, will be broadcast live on Comcast SportsNet.
So We Meet Again...
With its match against UConn, Maryland will have faced three of its four opponents from last year's NCAA Tournament already in the regular season (UCLA and American were the others). The Terps are 2-0 in the rematches this season.
Palmer, Terp Defense Among Nation's Best
In addition to being the No. 2 team in the nation, the Terps back that ranking up in several statistical categories. Goalkeeper Noah Palmer is third in the nation in goals-against average (0.31), while the Terrapin team is tied for third in shutout percentage (70%) and goals-against average (0.30).
In addition, Maryland is 27th in the nation for goals per game (2.10) and is second in winning percentage (.900)
The Last Time...
Maryland lost a home game: November 25, 2001 (vs. Loyola, 1-0 2ot)
Maryland gave up two goals: October 8, 2003 (vs. Georgetown, 3-2)
Maryland gave up three goals: November 15, 2002 (vs. Clemson, a 4-3 win)
Maryland lost to an unranked opponent: October 10, 2001 (1-0 to George Mason)
Maryland went to overtime: December 1, 2002, vs. Saint Louis
Maryland won in overtime: December 1, 2002, vs. Saint Louis (1-0)
Maryland lost in overtime: November 25, 2001, vs. Loyola
Maryland tied: September 30, 2001 (against Wake Forest, 2-2)
Terps Dominate ACC Stats
Maryland is at or around the top in all ACC statistics. Of the eight statistical categories for teams, Maryland is first or tied for first in seven (shots, goals, points, assists per game, goals allowed, shutouts and goals-against average). The only category Maryland is not first is team saves. Individually, Abe Thompson is the ACC leader for game-winning goals, while Noah Palmer has the conference's best goals-against average.
Maryland Notches 500 Wins
With its win over Wake Forest on September 24, the Maryland men's soccer team celebrated its 500th win in program history. Currently the Terps have a 501-261-66 record over 58 years of action, including one national championship (1968), 22 NCAA Tournament appearances and two ACC postseason championships. Head coach Sasho Cirovski has been on the sidelines for 140 wins, both ACC titles and eight NCAA Tournament berths, including two Final Fours.
Gimmie Two!
When Maryland scores two goals in a game, you might as well chalk it up as a win for the Terps. Over the past two seasons, Maryland has not lost a match when they have scored at least two goals. During that span, the Terps have won 25 in a row when scoring two goals (and tied once to Wake Forest on September 30, 2001). The last time the Terrapins fell after scoring two goals was October 28, 2000, against Clemson.
Front Runners
When George Mason scored the first goal in the game on Wednesday, Sept. 24, it marked the first time all season (637 minutes) that the Terps had trailed in a game. Maryland trailed in the contest until the first minute of the second half and went on to win 5-1. Against North Carolina, the Terrapins fell behind (and remained behind) after North Carolina scored in the 68th minute. On the season, Maryland has trailed in just 50 of the 990 total minutes.
Poll Positions
By virtue of its win over No.1 UCLA, Maryland became the consensus No.1 team in the nation. This marked the first time in the program's history that the team had been ranked No.1 by the NSCAA. In addition to the NSCAA poll, the Terps were ranked first by Soccer America, Soccer Times and College Soccer News. Maryland held the top ranking for four consecutive weeks.
After Maryland's loss to No. 5 North Carolina, Maryland has slipped to the No. 2 spot in the NSCAA, Soccer Times and College Soccer News polls. Soccer America dropped the Terps to No. 4.
Maryland returned all 11 starters from its College Cup team a year ago, making it one of the favorites for the title this season.
Terp Forwards Feared
The Terp front line was recently named as one of the most feared in the nation according to CollegeSoccerNews.com. The website commented that, "The Terps are loaded with talent. Juniors Abe Thompson and Domenic Mediate are prolific scorers. Nino Marcantonio, Jason Garey and Erwin Diaz add strength and skill to a group up-top that can make a case for being the best in the nation. Maryland plays a style of soccer that is pleasing to those who like to attack."
Shut 'em Down, Shut 'em Out
While Maryland certainly has some prolific scorers, the team can't lose if it doesn't give up a goal. The back line of team captain Seth Stammler, Clarence Goodson, Chris Lancos and Kenney Bertz--recognized by College Soccer News as one of the top back lines in the NCAA--have been nearly impenetrable all season. The group allows an average of eight shots a game, but more impressively, just over three shots on goal per game. The Terps have shutout seven of their first 11 opponents and will threaten the team record for shutouts in a season (13) that the unit set last season. Only five goals have been scored on the Terrapins in 990 minutes of action.
PK's Are OK
Maryland is a perfect 4-4 on penalty kick attempts this season. A.J. Herrera has converted two of those, while Abe Thompson and Nino Marcantonio have accounted for the other two.
In addition, two of those penalty kicks have turned out to be the game-winners. Thompson's PK against UCLA proved to be the difference in that matchup while Herrera's conversion against NC State was the deciding goal in that match.
Ball control
Maryland has been tremendous at controlling possession of the ball and dictating play through its first 11 games. In addition to the stout back line, the Terps' forwards and midfielders rarely give up the ball and constantly put pressure on opposing teams. Through the first seven games, Maryland is outshooting its opponents by a whopping 210-92 margin and have not been out-shot in a game all season.
Honor Roll
Several Maryland players earned tournament, conference and national honors so far this season. Here is a run down of the accolades earned by Terrapin players this season.
Scott Buete: Diadora Challenge All-Tournament Team (8/31/03); Maryland/adidas Soccer Classic Defensive MVP (9/7/03); College Soccer News National Player of the Week (9/8/03); Soccer America Team of the Week (9/10/03)
Seth Stammler: Diadora Challenge Tournament MVP (8/31/03); College Soccer News Team of the Week (9/1/03); Soccer America Team of the Week (9/10/03)
Abe Thompson: ACC Player of the Week (9/7/03); Maryland Student-Athlete of the Week (9/22/03)
A.J. Herrera: Diadora Challenge All-Tournament Team (8/31/03); Maryland/adidas Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team (9/7/03)
Ian Rodway: Diadora Challenge All-Tournament Team (8/31/03); Maryland/adidas Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team (9/7/03)
Clarence Goodson: Soccer America Team of the Week (9/17/03)
Sumed Ibrahim: Soccer America Team of the Week (10/1/03); College Soccer News Team of the Week (9/29); Maryland Student-Athlete of the Week (9/30)
Living Large At Ludwig
The Terps completed their first-ever perfect home record in 2002, compiling a 10-0-0 record. Maryland went on to win three more games at Ludwig Field in the NCAA Tournament as it advanced to the College Cup. Maryland has now won 19 straight at Ludwig, with its last loss coming November 25, 2001, to Loyola.
Overall, head coach Sasho Cirovski's teams are an impressive 71-25-4 at Ludwig since the facility opened in 1995. For this season, Ludwig has a dramatic new look with bleachers behind each goal and signs that extend around the perimeter of the field to give it a true soccer stadium feel.
The Terrapins were fifth in the nation in total attendance (19,984) and seventh in the nation last season in average attendance (1,537), and have drawn an average of 2,349 so far this season. Ludwig Field has had two crowds of over 3,000 people this season: the record-setting 6,143 crowd for UCLA and the 3,647 fans for Wake Forest.
Rocking The Ranked
Three Terrapin opponents are currently ranked in the nation's top 25 according to the NSCAA poll. However, as many as seven were in the Top 25 poll at one point this year. So far, Maryland is 3-1 against ranked opponents in 2003, notching victories over No. 15 Furman, No.1 UCLA and No. 16 Wake Forest, but losing to No. 5 North Carolina.
Thompson Climbs Career Charts
Just a junior, striker Abe Thompson is making his mark on some of Maryland's significant offensive career records. The Hermann Trophy candidate is seventh all-time in career goals (31) and sixth in points (79). Cliff Crug is Maryland's all-time leading goal scorer with 45 and Eberhard Klein is the Terps' leading point scorer (109).
Thompson also has 17 assists in his career, which means he is now among the top 10 in all offensive categories at Maryland.
A Little Help From My Friends...
Scoring a goal is one of the hardest things to do in all of sports, and the Maryland soccer team is fortunate to have to have two players that make life a little easier for the forwards in Scott Buete and Sumed Ibrahim. Both players are among the best in Terrapin history in dishing out assists, with Sumed ranking third all-time with 23 and Buete fourth with 22.
In addition to those two, Abe Thompson is currently ninth on that list with 17 career helpers.
Loaded Schedule
A look at the Terrapin schedule is a "Who's Who" among the nation's elite. In addition to taking on the defending NCAA champions in UCLA, 13 other opponents on Maryland's schedule participated in the NCAA Tournament a year ago. Further, six Terp opponents are ranked among the nation's top 25, according to the NSCAA/adidas Coaches' Poll. Head coach Sasho Cirovski believes that his team's schedule among the toughest ever compiled in recent history.
"I want to make sure we find some weaknesses in our team during the season, and the only way we can do that is to play really good teams that can expose you," Cirovski says. "Then we use those moments to educate our team and get them to correct those things, so we are playing our best soccer in November and December."
Terp Lineups
Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski has used five different starting lineups in the Terps' 11 games. Here are the five different starting lineups the Terps have utilized and their records in those games:
Furman, UCLA, NC State, Duke, Wake, North Carolina (5-1): Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, Mediate
Butler, George Mason (2-0): Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Thompson, Garey, Mediate
American (1-0): Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Garey, Marcantonio, Mediate
Loyola (1-0): Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, Garey, Mediate
Georgetown (1-0): Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Marcantonio, Mediate
Familiar Faces
Maryland's starting lineup from the 2002 College Cup returns intact, as well as 12 reserves from last season. The Terrapins lost just one player from last season and added freshman goaltender Keegan Riseling to round out the roster.
Thompson, Sumed On Watch List
Junior forward Abe Thompson and senior midfielder Sumed Ibrahim were recently named to the Missouri Athletic Club (M.A.C.) Hermann Award watch list for the upcoming season. Thompson was the team's leading scorer in 2002 with 36 points (14 g, 8 a), while Sumed was a dominant force for the Terrapins in the midfield and scored 22 points (8 g, 6 a).
Maryland ACC Preseason Favorite
Maryland, the 2002 ACC Champions, has been selected as the favorite for the upcoming 2003 ACC Men's Soccer season, as determined by a vote of the league's seven head coaches. The Terrapins finished the 2002 campaign with a 20-5 overall record, including a 4-2 league mark and advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup. Heading into 2003, Maryland collected 48 points in the pre-season balloting, edging out defending ACC regular-season champion Wake Forest, who finished second in the poll with 40 points.
The Demon Deacons finished the regular-season with a 4-0-2 league record and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Championship. Finishing third in the poll was Virginia with 30 points. The Cavaliers advanced to the finals of the 2002 ACC Championship and made their 22nd consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championship. Completing the pre-season poll in order of finish is North Carolina (28), Clemson (26), Duke (17) and NC State (7).
Considered by many to be one of the top soccer conferences in the nation, ACC schools have won 10 national championships in men's soccer over the last 19 years.
Stammler Named Team Captain
Senior defender Seth Stammler is the team's lone captain for 2003. Stammler, a native of Gahanna, Ohio, was a second team All-ACC selection in 2002, as well as earning All-ACC Tournament honors. This will be the second season that Stammler has served as captain.
Terps On The Tube
Two more Maryland Terrapin men's soccer games will be televised on CN8/Comcast Sports Net this season. The Terps' Sept. 5 showdown with defending NCAA champion UCLA was televised, and the Oct. 12 meeting with UConn and the Oct. 31 battle against Virginia on Halloween will also be featured on TV.
Terps on WMUC
WMUC, the student radio station for the University of Maryland, is broadcasting many Terrapin games home and away this season. You can catch the broadcasts on either wmucsports.com or 88.1 FM. Here is a complete look at the broadcast schedule for the 2003 season:
E-Mail Updates
For all results, scores and releases on the men's soccer team, sign up to be on the e-mail distribution list by sending an e-mail to Adam Zundell (azundell@umd.edu) with "Men's Soccer Info" in the subject line.
