Oct. 30, 2003
By Adam Zundell
Maryland Media Relations Staff
COLLEGE PARk, Md. - They could be playing on a dirt field in a playground in the middle of nowhere and they would still fight to the end. There could be no one there, but the effort would be as high as if there were 50,000 fans. As long as 11 guys wear Virginia jerseys, and 11 guys wear Maryland jerseys, the competitiveness will be as fierce as two lions battling over a piece of flesh.
This year's match between the Terps and the Wahoos has a little more "flesh" this season: the ACC regular season crown. Maryland has not captured the regular season title since 1971, but can accomplish that feat with a victory over Virginia Friday night.
"It just doesn't get much better than Virginia-Maryland," head coach Sasho Cirovski says. "On top of the two teams being so close, the competitive, high-quality soccer makes this one of the top rivalries in soccer."
As one of the strongest programs in the nation, Virginia is a target of all teams because of what they have accomplished over the years. Maryland wants what the Cavs have, and know they have to go through them to get it.
The environment for this Friday's match should have the same electric quality that has been present for many fall nights this season at Ludwig Field. The attendance at the Virginia match will put the Terps over 20,000 fans in just 10 matches this season, the most in school history. The previous high of 19,984 was set last season in 13 matches at Ludwig Field including the NCAA Tournament, making the record turnout all that more impressive. Of course, the Terps should continue to shatter last season's attendance mark with two more home matches and any NCAA Tournament matches.
The Terrapins have had a crowd over 1,000 for all but one home match this season, including the seventh-highest turnout for an NCAA regular season men's soccer match when 6,143 fans came to watch Maryland defeat UCLA, 1-0, on Sept. 5.
Cirovski believes that the spike in attendance is a direct reflection of the attractive, high-energy soccer his team is committed to playing and the overall success of the program over the last two seasons; and that the swelling crowds at Ludwig are a trend, not an accident.
Always stingy at home, with the increased fan support the Terps have been even better over the past two seasons, stringing 22 consecutive wins together at Ludwig Field. The Terps win, of course, because they are a skilled team that executes; but according to a Wake Forest assistant coach, the packed stands are one of the main reasons that Ludwig Field is now "the toughest place to play in the ACC."
As players that have grown accustomed to playing in front of relatively small crowds, the Terp players are extremely appreciative of the undying support they have received from the fans. Following each match, the Terps run over to the fans lining the wall along the field and go through a line of high-fives to show their thanks.
There is no doubt Maryland and Virginia would play an intense, hard-fought match even if the stands were bare. Fortunately for the Terps, thousands of fans in black and red will be in their corner, for another electric night at Ludwig Field.
