Nov. 6, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland, which last week wrapped up its first Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season title in 32 years, finishes its regular season Friday evening against Big Ten Conference member Ohio State as the Terrapins celebrate Senior Night.

The Terrapins (15-2, 5-1 ACC) had a six-game winning streak overall and a 23-match home winning streak snapped last Tuesday in a 1-0 loss to Bucknell. Maryland, ranked second in the nation in the most recent collegiate polls, is in its final preparation for next week's ACC Tournament, in which the Terps are the top seed for the first time in the event's history.

Ohio State (4-10-4, 2-3-1 Big Ten) is playing its second nationally-ranked opponent in as many games. The Buckeyes lost at home to Michigan, 1-0, in a match played last Saturday. Ohio State is also preparing for tournament action, as it will be the fourth seed for the Big Ten Tournament, to be played Nov. 13-16 at Indiana University.

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

About The Buckeyes
Ohio State had a slow start to its season, but has played better of late. The Buckeyes began the season 1-5, but are 2-2-2 in their last six outings. OSU opened the season against seven consecutive opponents that were all ranked in at least one of the national polls, including No. 1 UCLA (a 1-0 Bruin win on Aug. 31).

Ohio State owns the Big Ten's second-ranked defense, allowing just 1.06 goals per game. Despite scoring a Big Ten-low 0.72 goals per game this season, the Buckeyes have out-shot their opponents 213-185.

Midfielder Taylor Korpieski leads the Buckeyes in scoring with six points this year. Peter Withers and Dana York join Korpieski with a team-high two goals this season. Ohio State has suffered nine shutouts during 2003.

Ray Burse Jr. has spent most of the season in goal, averaging 1.11 goals against in 15 starts.

The Buckeyes outshot Michigan, 13-5, in their last outing, but the 25th-ranked Wolverines scored a goal with 3:12 left to win and spoil OSU's Senior Night.

Last Time OUT Vs. BUCKNELL (11/4/2003)
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Second-ranked Maryland had its 23-game home winning streak snapped by a determined Bucknell squad Tuesday in front of 1,024 fans at Ludwig Field. Scott Visnic's second-minute goal stood as the lone score in the 1-0 shocker.

Visnic notched his team-leading 12th goal just 1:28 into the match off a centering feed from Chris Beekman. Visnic deposited the point-blank shot - Bucknell's only first-half shot - past Maryland keeper Noah Palmer, who finished with two saves on the night.

Despite outshooting the Bison 23-5 and nearly finding the back of the net on several occasions, the Terps couldn't get the equalizer. Bison keeper Adam Edwards snared Jason Garey's header with 11 minutes left to thwart Maryland's best scoring chance. Edwards made eight saves to preserve the shutout as Bucknell's players and fans swarmed the field to celebrate the upset.

Domenic Mediate and Seth Stammler led the Terps with five and four shots, respectively. The Terps suffered their second defeat of the season in falling to 15-2, while Bucknell headed into its regular-season finale at 11-6-1.

Bucknell (11-6-1) 1 0 1
#2 Maryland (15-2) 0 0 0

Scoring: Buck - Scott Visnic (Chris Beekman), 1:32
Shots: Buck 1+4=5; MD 11+12=23
Corners: Buck 1+2=3; MD 2+3=5
Fouls: Buck 7+5=12; MD 6+5=11
Goalkeepers: Buck - Adam Edwards (0 GA, 8 SV, 90:00); MD - Noah Palmer (1 GA, 2 SV, 90:00)

Last Time vs. OHIO STATE (8/23/2002)
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Maryland's men's soccer team pushed past Ohio State, 3-1, in the second game of the College Cup Preview at Columbus Crew Stadium. The exhibition game was postponed midway through the game for 39 minutes because of lightning.

Maryland forward Abe Thompson scored two goals to lead the Terrapins. Thompson scored quickly in the fourth minute on a header with assists from Domenic Mediate and Ian Rodway and struck again in the 40th minute on a solo effort. Nino Marcantonio also scored for Maryland in the 35th minute off a cross from Sumed Ibrahim. Clarence Goodson was also credited with an assist on the play.

The Buckeyes were led by senior forward Andy Rosenband, who scored the lone goal for the Buckeyes in the 16th minute. Rosenband scored from nine yards out when he knocked in a rebound off the post from the right side.

Noah Palmer had another strong showing in the goal for Maryland, playing 45 minutes and allowing one OSU score. Redshirt freshman Craig Salvati entered in the second half, tallying two saves. A native of Ohio, Salvati allowed no goals on the day.

Maryland outshot the Bucks 17-9 and played its entire roster in the game, which was a homecoming for captain Seth Stammler, freshman Kenney Bertz and Salvati.

The most recent regular-season game between Maryland and Ohio State was played late in 1997 when the Terps won 2-1 at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C. The Terps scored a pair of first-half goals, and finished the match with a 20-7 edge in shots.

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 10 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 0.43.

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. 4, 2003 (vs. Bucknell, 1-0) ... 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: Nov. 4, 2003 (home vs. Bucknell, 1-0) ... lost a non-conference regular season game: Nov. 4, 2003 (home vs. Bucknell, 1-0) ... 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 506-262-66 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 was 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 it has 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. Bucknell scored in the second minute of its victory at Ludwig Field and made the early marker stand up. Maryland has trailed in just 171 of the 1,530 total minutes, or just over 11 percent of the entire season.

Ball Control
Maryland has been tremendous at controlling possession of the ball and dictating play through 17 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 17 games, Maryland is outshooting its opponents by a whopping 324-139 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 17 opponents and are threatening the team record for shutouts in a season (13) that the unit set last season. Only eight goals have been scored on the Terrapins in 1,530 minutes of action.

PK's Are OK
Maryland is a perfect 5-for-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.

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 Maryland needed in a 4-0 win over UConn.

Honor Roll
Several Maryland players earned tournament, conference and national honors so far this season. Here is a rundown 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) Kenney Bertz: College Soccer News Team of the Week (10/12/03; 10/26/03); Soccer America Team of the Week (10/27/03)

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 had won 23 straight at Ludwig, with its last loss prior to the Bucknell defeat coming November 25, 2001, to Loyola.

Overall, head coach Sasho Cirovski's teams are an impressive 75-26-4 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 1,996 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, Bucknell (2-1): Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Garey, Mediate

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.