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Oct. 2, 2003

College Park, Md. - The No.1 Maryland Terrapins (9-0, 3-0) travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., for an ACC battle against No. 5 North Carolina (7-1-2, 1-1) on Sunday, October 5, at 2 p.m.

The Terps are back in action after over a week's worth of rest. Maryland defeated No. 16 Wake Forest, 1-0, at Ludwig Field its last time out. North Carolina visited the George Mason this week as the Tar Heels played the Patriots to a scoreless tie on Tuesday.

North Carolina and Maryland have played two common opponents so far this season in Duke and George Mason. UNC defeated Duke 3-2 and tied George Mason 0-0, while Maryland came away with a 2-0 victory over the Blue Devils and downed the Patriots 5-1.

The Tar Heels have been outstanding at Fetzer Field over the past four seasons (including 2003), racking up 36 wins compared to just four losses. Maryland, winners of nine straight this season, last picked up a win in Chapel Hill came in 1999.

About The Tar Heels
North Carolina may be short on experience, but the Tar Heels are big in talent and depth. UNC welcomed 16 newcomers to the program for 2003, but the lack of experience has not showed as the team is off to a 7-1-1 start.

The Tar Heels, though, do have a flair for the dramatic. The team has already played in six matches that have been decided by one goal (and is 5-1 in those games) and has gone into overtime five times already this season.

UNC grabbed attention in the first weekend of play with an impressive pair of victories over No 5 St. John's and No. 10 UConn. The Tar Heels' lone loss came on a tough road match in their ACC opener, falling 1-0 at Virginia. North Carolina shows ties against Vermont and George Mason.

Carolina is led by 2001 ACC Rookie of the Year Marcus Storey. Storey has five goals and one assist (11 points), but the offense doesn't stop there. Nine different players have scored goals this season, including three from Jamie Watson and two from Tim Merritt. Eleven Tar Heels have at least one assist on the year and five have registered two.

Ford Williams, a member of the U-20 national team, and Justin Hughes have each seen significant time in net for Carolina. Each player has been outstanding, having only surrendered six goals on the season.

Elmar Bolowich is in his 15th season with the Tar Heels. He has a career record of 183-100-16, including the NCAA title in 2001.

Storylines * In 55 meetings, the match between the Terps and the Tar Heels has never ended in a tie. * The Terps have allowed just two goals all season, and have seven shutouts this season. * Maryland is 3-0 this season against ranked opponents; UNC is 3-1. * North Carolina is 4-0 at home this season. * The Terps are 1-0 on the road this year. * Maryland has won nine straight matches, the longest win streak since 1968.

Last Time vs. North Carolina
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Two early goals and a diligent defensive effort won the No. 6 Maryland men's soccer team a 3-1 victory over defending NCAA Champion North Carolina. The Terps are now 9-2 (2-1 ACC), while the Tar Heels fall to 7-4 (1-2 ACC).

The Terps struck early, less than five minutes into the game, when Nino Marcantonio got a strong shot from inside the box past Carolina keeper Ford Williams. Domenic Mediate supplied the assist on the opening goal of the night.

Five minutes later, Ian Rodway kept a UNC clear alive with his head and directed it to a soaring Sumed Ibrahim. Sumed redirected the ball into the net for a 2-0 Maryland lead 9:21 into the game. The goal would prove to be the game winner, and was Sumed's sixth decision-maker of the year.

North Carolina got on the scoreboard in the 37th minute when the Heels sparked a turnover and Ray Fumo made the deposit. The goal at 36:17 made the score 2-1, a score that would hold through the halftime break.

Maryland sophomore goalkeeper Noah Palmer denied the possible game-tying goal from Matt Crawford, elevating to punch the hard shot over the net. Palmer ended with five saves in the win.

A dynamic crowd of 3,015 filled Ludwig Field for the game, the fourth largest men's crowd ever to see a Terrapin game at Ludwig Field. The attendance was the largest since the Maryland vs. Creighton NCAA quarterfinal game on Dec. 15, 1998. That night, a crowd of 3,123 filled the Ludwig Field stands.

The victory over North Carolina is memorable one in that it marks the first time since October 23, 1988, when Maryland defeated Clemson 2-1, that the Terps have knocked off a defending national champion.

Last Time Out vs. No. 16 Wake Forest
COLLEGE PARK, Md - COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No.1 Maryland men's soccer team recorded the 500th win in program history with a hard-fought 1-0 win over No. 16 Wake Forest Saturday night at Ludwig Field.

It was a great night to get the 500th victory," head coach Sasho Cirovski said. "It was a great crowd, it was a great opponent and it was a great goal by Sumed.

"Wake is a deep team, and I thought they played a great game" Cirovski continued. "They gave us fits in the midfield and possessed the ball well. I'm really proud of our team's competitive maturity--we looked composed and we never panicked in the face of their pressure."

Sumed Ibrahim scored the game-winner at 27:28 when Ian Rodway skipped a pass to him from the middle of the field to the left corner of the box. Sumed got the difficult shot past Wake keeper William Hesmer. It was Sumed's third goal in two games.

The Terps were able to make that lead stand up by some great play by keeper Noah Palmer. Palmer, who had not had to make more than three saves in any game this season, stopped seven Demon Deacon shots on his way to his sixth shutout this season.

"I told Noah before the game that we were going to need him to make some great saves tonight," head coach Sasho Cirovski said. "He really played a great game and was a big reason why we came away with the win."

Palmer, Terp Defense Among Nation's Best
In addition to being the No. 1 team in the nation, the Terps back that ranking up in several statistical categories. Goalkeeper Noah Palmer is second in the nation in goals-against average (0.23), while the Terrapin team is tied for second in shutout percentage (78%) and goals-against average (0.22).

In addition, Maryland is 21st in the nation for goals per game (2.33) and is first in winning percentage (1.000)

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-UNC Series Notes Maryland leads series: 35-20 Last 10 meetings: Maryland leads, 6-4 Last UNC win: 10/7/01 (2-1) Last Maryland win: 10/5/02 (3-1) Last Maryland win at UNC: 10/9/99 (1-0) Cirovski vs. UNC: 7-5-0 Last shutout: 10/9/99 (MD, 1-0)

Maryland Notches 500 Wins In Program History
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 500-261-66 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 24 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. On the season, Maryland has trailed in just 38 of the 810 total minutes.

Top-Ranked Terrapins
By virtue of its win over No.1 UCLA, Maryland is the consensus No.1 team in the nation. This marks the first time in the program's history that the team has been ranked No.1 by the NSCAA. In addition to the NSCAA poll, the Terps are ranked first by Soccer America, Soccer Times and College Soccer News. Maryland has held the top ranking for three consecutive weeks.

Maryland returned all 11 starters from its College Cup team a year ago, making it one of the favorites for the title this season.

The Last Time...
Maryland began a season 10-0: 1968
Maryland won 10 in a row: 1986
Maryland lost: December 12, 2002 (vs. UCLA, 2-1)
Maryland lost a home game: November 25, 2001 (vs. Loyola, 1-0 2ot)
Maryland gave up two goals: December 12, 2002 (vs. UCLA, 2-1)
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)

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 have been nearly impenetrable all season. The group allows an average of eight shots a game, but more impressively, just over two shots on goal per game. The Terps have shutout seven of their first nine opponents and will threaten the team record for shutouts in a season (13) that the unit set last season. Only two goals have been scored on the Terrapins in 810 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 eight 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 163-64 margin.

	Sumed Ibrahim earned honors from Soccer America and College Soccer news for his three-goal performance last week.

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.

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 3-0 against ranked opponents in 2003, notching victories over No. 15 Furman, No.1 UCLA and No. 16 Wake Forest.

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 (77). 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 16 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, ranking tied for third-best all-time in career with 22. Sumed and Buete each have an assist this season.

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 four different starting lineups in the Terps' eight games. Here is a game-by-game look at the Maryland starters:
Furman: Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, Mediate
Butler: Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Thompson, Garey, Mediate
UCLA: Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, Mediate
American: Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Garey, Marcantonio, Mediate
Loyola: Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, Garey, Mediate
NC State: Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, Mediate
Duke: Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, Mediate
George Mason: Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, Garey, Mediate
Wake Forest: Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, 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.

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.