Terps Return to the College Cup
12/10/2003 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Dec. 10, 2003
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Second-seeded Maryland looks to take care of some unfinished business this weekend at the College Cup in Columbus, Ohio. The Terps (20-2-1) will face St. John's (16-5-3) in the national semifinals on Friday, Dec. 12, at 5 p.m. The game will be televised live by ESPN2.
The Terps return to the College Cup for the second consecutive season. Maryland was eliminated by eventual national champion UCLA a season ago.
The Terps advanced to the College Cup rallying past Saint Louis, 4-2. Maryland fell behind 2-0, but scored four goals in just over 11 minutes to roar past the Billikens. Three of the four goals were scored on corner kicks, and Nino Marcantonio chipped in three assists to help Maryland advance to the Final Four. Maryland's four goals were its most in an NCAA Tournament game since 1994.
The Red Storm also had to come back from down two goals to get to Columbus, and did so while playing a man down for the majority of the match. Chris Wingert had an assist and converted on a penalty kick to help St. John's defeat Creighton, 3-2.
The winner of Maryland-St.John's match will play the winner of Santa Clara-Indiana on Sunday, Dec. 14, for the national championship. That game will also be televised live by ESPN2, with kickoff at 2 p.m.
COLLEGE CUP NOTES
- Maryland is making its eighth appearance in the College Cup. Head coach Sasho Cirovski has led the Terps to three trips in the last five seasons.
- The Terp roster has a combined total of 128 games of NCAA Tournament experience. A.J. Herrera, Sumed Ibrahim and Scott Buete have each played in 10 NCAA Tournament games at Maryland.
- Maryland is in its 23rd appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The Terps are 26-21-2 all-time and earned a co-national title with Michigan State in 1968.
- Cirovski is in his ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament in 11 seasons as head coach of the Terps. Cirovski is 14-7-1 in the NCAA Tournament at Maryland.
- The Terps' 20 victories ties the school record they set last season.
- On the way to the College Cup, second-seeded Maryland defeated Old Dominion (2-1), Akron (1-0) and Saint Louis (4-2).
- Ohio natives Seth Stammler (Gahanna), Kenney Bertz (Liberty Township) and Craig Salvati (West Chester) are returning to the Buckeye State to play in the College Cup.
- Maryland is 10-1-1 against teams in the NCAA Tournament this year. The Terps own two wins over NC State, a tie against Virginia (although they lost in penalty kicks) and lost to North Carolina.
- Maryland's shootout against Virginia was just the second in school history. The other came in the NCAA Tournament against James Madison in 1995 (which the Terps lost, 4-3).
