Nov. 3, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland, which last week wrapped up its first Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title in 32 years, steps out of league action for two games, starting with a Tuesday-night test with Bucknell. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Ludwig Field.

The Terrapins (15-1, 5-1 ACC) have won six straight overall and own a 23-match winning streak at Ludwig Field. Maryland, ranked second in the nation in major college polls also plays a non-conference foe this Friday when it finishes its regular season against Ohio State.

Bucknell (10-6-1, 5-0-1) comes into the game after having won two straight and captured the regular-season championship in the Patriot League. The Bison are 4-1-1 in their last six games, having beaten American and Navy in league outings the last two times out.

The game will be broadcast live on WMUC Sports, and a live stats updates are available on the web at www.umterps.com.

About The Bison
Bucknell opened the season with a 3-4 record but has been streaking since opening its Patriot League schedule. Since Sept. 26, the Bison are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and have rolled through the Patriot League with an unbeaten mark thus far. Bucknell finishes its conference schedule with a home game against Holy Cross on Saturday, Nov. 8.

The league championship gives Bucknell the right to host the conference tournament for the first time since the 1990-91 season.

Sophomore goalkeeper Adam Edwards posted his seventh shutout of the season last week in helping Bucknell defeat Navy, 2-0, in Annapolis. He comes into the matchup with Maryland with a 1.15 goals-against average and a .765 save percentage.

Bucknell also has the leading scorer in the Patriot League in midfielder Scott Visnic. The sophomore leads the conference with 25 points and has scored 11 goals this season. Five of his goals have been game-winners. Eric Brunton (4-6-14) and Jonathan Hemmert (2-7-11) had goals in the win last Saturday at Navy.

The Bison have been scoring well of late, having tallied at least two goals in five of their last seven outings and four of their last five.

Last Time vs. Bucknell (11/6/2002)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - No. 11 Maryland lifted head coach Sasho Cirovski to his 150th career win as it downed Bucknell 1-0 at Ludwig Field. Striker Abe Thompson had the game-winner for the Terps, who raised their record to 13-3. Bucknell fell to 12-5-1 on the season.

Despite six first-half shots and a larger time of possession in the Terps' favor, play was scoreless in the first half. Thompson's goal did not come until the 72nd minute when a free kick set up a scramble in the box. Freshman Kenney Bertz found Thompson, who sent the ball from left to right at a severe angle to score the game-winner. The goal was Thompson's team-leading ninth of the season.

Noah Palmer was credited with his seventh shutout of the season, as an outstanding Maryland defense gave up only one shot to the Bison.

Bucknell (12-5-1) 0 0 0
#11 Maryland (13-3) 0 1 1

Scoring: MD - Abe Thompson (Kenney Bertz) 71:42
Shots: MD - 6+6=12; BU - 1+0=1
Corners: MD - 3+1=4; BU - 0+0=0
Saves: MD - 0+0=0; BU - 2+0=2
Fouls: MD - 5+3=8; BU - 4+2=6
Goalkeeping: MD-Noah Palmer (0 GA, 0 SV, 90:00); BU - Adam Edwards (1 GA, 2 SV, 90:00)

Last Time Out vs. Virginia (10/31/2003)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Defense was the name of the game in the ACC regular-season finale between Maryland and Virginia Friday night, as the Terps' strong backline play made Jason Garey's first-half goal stand up for a 1-0 victory in front of 2,245 vocal Ludwig Field fans.

With the win, Maryland clinched its first ACC regular-season championship since 1971 and secured the top seed in the conference tournament for the first time since its inception in 1987. Maryland has now won 23 games in a row at Ludwig Field, dating to the 2001 season.

The goal, Garey's seventh of the season, came in the 20th minute, when A.J. Herrera sent a through-ball into the box, which Garey flicked past Cavs' keeper Ryan Burke, who finished with eight saves, including several that prevented Maryland from increasing its lead.

The Terps (15-1, 5-1 ACC) dominated offensive possession throughout most of the game, outshooting the Wahoos 20-8. Sumed Ibrahim led the Terps with six shots and Garey finished with five. Virgina (8-8, 3-3) was led on offense by Will Hall, who finished with three shots, who also registered the Cavs' only shot on goal.

Maryland keeper Noah Palmer only had to make one save on the night, due to the solid defensive effort led by Ian Rodway and Scott Buete.

Virginia (8-8, 3-3) 0 0 0
#2 Maryland (15-1, 5-1) 1 0 1

Scoring: MD-Jason Garey (A.J. Herrera, Sumed Ibrahim), 24:33.
Shots: UVa 3+5=8; MD 11+9=20
Corners: UVa 4+3=7; MD 2+5=7
Fouls: UVa 8+4=12; MD 6+11=17
Goalkeepers: UVa - Ryan Burke (1 GA, 8 SV, 90:00); MD - Noah Palmer (0 GA, 1 SV, 90:00)

ACC TOURNAMENT PAIRINGS SET

Wednesday, November 12

No. 4-seed UNC (11-3-3, 2-3-1) vs. No. 5-seed NC State (8-7-1, 2-3-1) - 3 p.m.
No. 2-seed Wake Forest (12-3, 4-2) vs. No. 7-seed Duke (7-9-1, 2-4) - 5:30 p.m.
No. 3-seed Virginia (8-8, 3-3) vs. No. 6-seed Clemson (8-7-2, 2-4) - 8 p.m.

Friday, November 14
No. 1-seed Maryland (15-1, 5-1) vs. No. 4/No. 5 winner - 5:30 p.m.
No. 2/No. 7 winner vs. No. 3/No. 6 winner - 8 p.m.

Sunday, November 16
Championship Game, 1 p.m.*

* Game will be televised live by Fox Sports Net South, Sunshine Network and Comcast SportsNet

Where: SAS Soccer Complex, 201 Soccer Park Drive, Cary, N.C., 27511
When: November 12, 14 & 16
Ticket Information: Adult Books - $20, Youth Books - $12
Adult Single Game Tickets - $12, Youth Single Game Tickets - $6
Quarterfinal All-Day Special - $5 Adult, $2 Youth
For tickets, call 919-834-3951 ext. 130 (10 a.m. - 4 p.m. ET, Monday-Friday).
Groups of 10 or more may purchase single-day tickets for $10 (adults)/$5 (youth).
There will also be a parking fee of $3.

Sumed Heating Up
Senior midfielder Sumed Ibrahim had a terrific start to the 2002 season, but struggled toward the end of the season. This season, it appears to be the exact opposite. Sumed battled injuries during the early portion of the season, but is showcasing his talents now that he is healthy again. In the last nine matches, the Hermann Trophy canidate has scored six goals and tallied four assists for 16 points. Sumed is living up to the role of the difference-maker, as two of his goals were game-winners (vs. Wake Forest and Penn State), and he assisted on the deciding goals against Georgetown, Penn and Virginia. He is now eighth all-time in points at Maryland with 74.

Palmer After Maryland Records
Junior goalkeeper Noah Palmer needs just three more shutouts to break the Maryland record for shutouts in a career, set by Dom Macina from 1985-1988. Macina had 27 shutouts for the Terps, while Palmer has amassed 25 so far in his career. Palmer is also on pace to break Macina's school record for goals-against average (GAA) in a season. Macina had a GAA of just 0.68 in 1985, yet Palmer's average is currently 0.40.

The Last Time Maryland...
... won the ACC regular season title: 1971
... earned the top seed in the ACC Tournament: Never
... had five ACC regular season wins: 1968
... lost a home game: Nov. 25, 2001 (vs. Loyola, 1-0 2ot)
... gave up two goals: Oct. 8, 2003 (vs. Georgetown, 3-2)
... gave up three goals: Nov. 15, 2002 (vs. Clemson, a 4-3 win)
... scored four goals: Oct. 12, 2003 (vs. UConn, a 4-0 win)
... scored five goals or more: Aug. 30, 2002 (vs. Rhode Island, a 8-0 win)
... lost to an unranked opponent: Oct. 10, 2001 (1-0 to George Mason)
... lost a non-conference regular season game: Oct. 12, 2002 (2-0 to UConn)
... went to overtime: Dec. 1, 2002, vs. Saint Louis
... won in overtime: Dec. 1, 2002, vs. Saint Louis (1-0)
... lost in overtime: Nov. 25, 2001, vs. Loyola
... tied: Sept. 30, 2001 (against Wake Forest, 2-2)

Balanced Attack
While Maryland does feature some star players, one of the team's biggest strengths is its depth. If a team tries to take away Abe Thompson or Sumed Ibrahim, Jason Garey, Nino Marcantonio and Domenic Mediate are more than capable to find the back of the net. Ten different players have netted goals for the Terps this season, and 15 players (including all 11 regulars) have notched at least one assist.

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 506-261-66 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 146 wins, both ACC titles and eight NCAA Tournament berths, including two Final Fours. The accomplishment will be recognized prior to the start of the match with Virginia.

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 28 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. Penn became the third team to grab a lead against Maryland, but could only hold on to it for 23 minutes before the Terps tied the match. Maryland has trailed in just 83 of the 1350 total minutes, or just over six percent of the entire season.

Ball Control
Maryland has been tremendous at controlling possession of the ball and dictating play through 16 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 16 games, Maryland is outshooting its opponents by a whopping 301-134 margin and have not been out-shot in a game all season. Opponents are only managing eight shots a match against the Terps.

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 has 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 shut out 10 of 16 opponents and are threatening the team record for shutouts in a season (13) that the unit set last season. Only seven goals have been scored on the Terrapins in 1,440 minutes of action.

PK's Are OK
Maryland is a perfect 5-5 on penalty kick attempts this season. A.J. Herrera and Nino Marcantonio have converted two apiece, while Abe Thompson has accounted for the other.

In addition, three 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. Marcantonio's PK was all Marylaned needed in a 4-0 win over UConn.

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.

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 23 straight at Ludwig, with its last loss coming November 25, 2001, to Loyola.

Overall, head coach Sasho Cirovski's teams are an impressive 75-25-4 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 2,093 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.

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 with 26 career helpers and Buete ranking fourth all-time with 23. 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
With injuries along the Maryland front line and midfield, Terp head coach Sasho Cirovski has been forced to use nine different starting lineups in the Terps' 15 games. Here are the 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

UConn (1-0): Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Garey, Vitagliano, Mediate

Penn State (1-0): Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Buete, Goodson, Garey, Marcantonio, Mediate

Penn (1-0): Salvati, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Buete, Goodson, Garey, Marcantonio, Mediate

Clemson, Virginia (2-0): Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Garey, Mediate