Dec. 4, 2003
College Park, Md. -- Second-seeded Maryland will look for its second appearance in the College Cup in as many seasons when it takes on Saint Louis on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 1 p.m.
The game is a rematch of last year's third round match, which the Terrapins won 1-0 on Domenic Mediate's golden goal in the 94th minute.
The Terps (19-2-1) advanced to the quarterfinals after defeating Akron, 1-0, last Sunday. After a uneventful first half, Maryland came out in the second half and created numerous scoring opportunities. However, Maryland's score came on a counter attack after Sumed Ibrahim took advantage of an Akron turnover in the Terps' third and raced down the field. Sumed dished to Nino Marcantonio who slipped a final pass to Jason Garey who finished it off for the game's only score. The Terps dominating second half included outshooting the Zips 12-1 in the second half.
Saint Louis (15-3-3), the tournament's seventh seed, comes to College Park after a 3-2 overtime win over Washington on Sunday. Vedad Ibisevic scored two goals in the match, including the game winner in the 96th minute. Martin Hutton registered nine saves for the Billikens to help preserve the victory.
The winner of Maryland-Saint Louis will advance to the College Cup in Columbus, Ohio, next weekend, and face the winner of St. John's-Creighton.
NCAA Tournament Notes
* Saint Louis and Maryland have a habit of playing in the NCAA Tournament. The Billikens lead the all-time series, 3-2, and all five meetings have come in the NCAA Tournament. Saint Louis twice defeated the Terps in the NCAA Finals (1960 and 1962). Maryland, however, eliminated the Billikens in last season's third round match, 1-0, in overtime.
* Saint Louis brings a young team to this NCAA Quarterfinal matchup, which directly contrasts Maryland's abundant experience. The Billikens have 23 freshmen and sophomores on their 27-man roster and freshmen have accounted for all but five of Saint Louis' 40 goals. The Terps, on the other had, have over 100 games of NCAA Tournament experience on their roster and have a mixture of sophomores, juniors and seniors contributing.
* Maryland is in its 23rd appearances in the NCAA Tournament. The Terps are 25-21-2 all-time and earned a co-national title with Michigan State in 1968.
* Sasho Cirovski is making his ninth trip to the NCAA Tournament in 11 seasons as head coach of the Terps. Cirovski is 13-7-1 in the NCAA Tournament at Maryland.
* Maryland is 9-1-1 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. The Terrapins are the only team to defeat top-seeded UCLA this season.
* Maryland is 26-1 at home over the past two seasons, including three NCAA Tournament wins a year ago.
* The Terp roster has a combined total of 111 games of NCAA Tournament experience. A.J. Herrera, Sumed Ibrahim and Scott Buete have each played in nine NCAA Tournament games at Maryland.
* 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).
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* Sophomore Jason Garey has been forced to shoulder the offensive load without Domenic Mediate (broken collarbone) and an ailing Abe Thompson. Garey has responded with a goal in each of Maryland's NCAA Tournament matches this season.
* Maryland defeated Saint Louis, 1-0, in last year's third round match, also played at Ludwig Field.
* The Terps have won the last two in the series, but the two teams did not play from 1968-2002.
* Saint Louis and Maryland have met five times, all of which have come in the postseason.
* Sumed Ibrahim has an assist in each of Maryland's NCAA Tourney games.
* Maryland has not been outshot in any match this season.
* With the match against Saint Louis, Maryland will now have four of their five opponents from last year's NCAA Tournament (UCLA, Connecticut and American are the others). The Terps are 3-0 in the rematches.
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Last Year against Saint Louis
* Sophomore striker Domenic Mediate propelled Maryland to the NCAA quarterfinals with his golden goal in the 95th minute against Saint Louis Sunday at Ludwig Field.
* While the first half shot total favored Maryland only slightly at 4-3, the Terps dominated the second half and the overtime frame statistically, outshooting Saint Louis 19-5 for the game (15-2 in the final 49:42). The Terps had several outstanding chances as time ticked away in the second half, the first in the 69th minute when Mediate's shot was blocked by an outstanding defensive save from Saint Louis' Andy Pusateri.
* Maryland had another good chance on a throw-in situation in the 88th minute, hitting Clarence Goodson in the box for the header, which was saved by SLU keeper Martin Hutton, who had eight saves on the day. The Terps keep the pressure up in the overtime frame, with Mediate hitting the post 2:20 into bonus play.
* In the 95th minute, Maryland played the long ball through the Billikan defense. Mediate used his explosive speed to meet the keeper at the front of the eight-yard box and eventually won the ball. The talented sophomore beat Hutton and converted his second golden goal of the year in two overtime games for Maryland.
A Bit On the Billikens
* Freshman forward Vedad Ibisevic has been outstanding in his first season for Saint Louis. He has 18 goals and four assists for 40 points, including five goals in his last three games. He should provide a great test for the Terp back line. He is the Conference-USA Freshman of the Year.
* Despite oustcoring opponents 40-24, the Billikens only have taken 31 more shots on the season than their opponents.
* Saint Louis is currently riding a seven-match unbeaten streak. The last time the Billikens lost was Oct. 24, a 2-1 decision to Indiana.
* The Terps and Billikens have three common opponents this season. Both Maryland and Saint Louis have defeated Clemson, Akron and Virginia this season.
What's A Billiken?
* One of the truly unique mascots in college athletics, the Billiken is a symbol of good luck that became a national craze in the early 1900s.
* In 1908, Florence Pretz, an art teacher and illustrator in Kansas City, Mo., received a patent for her version of an ancient Asian figure - a chubby character with pixie ears, fat cheeks and an ear-to-ear grin. A year later, the Billiken Company of Chicago adopted the likeness, giving it its eventual name. Initially manufactured as a bank and statuette, the Billiken reached its peak of popularity in 1911, when it was widely recognized as a universal symbol of good fortune. - courtesy SLUBillikens.com
Garey In Gear
* Sophomore Jason Garey has done a more than adequate job of filling in for All-America candidate Abe Thompson. Garey is a tremendous scoring threat up front, constantly working to get in position in front of the net to make a play.
* He leads the team in scoring with 12 goals and three assists for 27 points, far surpassing his totals as a freshman (3g, 1a, 7 pts.).
* Garey, one of the top finishers in the country, has scored in each of Maryland's NCAA Tournament games. His goal against Akron was the game-winner.
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 15 matches, the Hermann Trophy semifinalist has scored seven goals and tallied five assists for 20 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, Ohio State and Akron. He is now in sole possession of seventh all-time in points at Maryland with 78.
Noah Notes
* Junior goalkeeper Noah Palmer needs just two 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 0.47.
* Palmer recorded three shutouts in four NCAA Tournament matches last year. His career GAA in the NCAA Tournament is 0.48 (four goals allowed in 660 minutes). He now has five career NCAA Tournament shutouts (one in 2001, three in 2002 and one in 2003).
* With great play by the backs, Palmer needed to make just one save in the shutout against Akron.
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 31 in a row when scoring two goals (and tied once to Wake Forest on September 30, 2001), including the NCAA Tournament opener in which Maryland won 2-1 over Old Dominion.
* The last time the Terrapins fell after scoring two goals was October 28, 2000, against Clemson.
* In the NCAA Tournament, Maryland has not lost when scoring two goals since 1994. (Maryland did tie, 2-2, against James Madison in 1995 and then failed to advance in the shootout. That much is officially recorded as a tie.) The Terps are 6-0-1 when scoring two goals in the NCAA Tournament since 1995.
Gimmie One!
* Maryland is 19-0-1 when scoring at least one goal this season. The only blemish to that record came in the ACC finals when the Cavaliers rallied to bring the match to a 1-1 draw.
* Both of Maryland's losses this season have come on 1-0 scores to North Carolina and Bucknell.
Maryland Advances Past Akron, 1-0
* The No. 2 Maryland men's soccer advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over No. 15 Akron at Ludwig Field on Sunday afternoon.
* Neither team could find a rhythm in the first half, trading possessions mostly in the midfield. The Terps usually potent offense was slowed, firing just four shots in the first half, with just one of those on goal. Akron wasn't able to get much going either, with their lone shot on goal coming on a run by Alex Odwell.
* The Terps got on track in the second half, though, possessing the ball better and creating numerous opportunities. Maryland threatened in the 53rd minute as Kenney Bertz and Chris Lancos each hit the post on successive shots before the ball being cleared away. Clarence Goodson had his header sail just over the net and Nino Marcantonio's shot from inside the box was just off the mark.
* The persistence paid off as Jason Garey scored his second goal in as many games when he finished a give-and-go from Marcantonio. The play was set up by Sumed Ibrahim, who stepped in front of the ball in the Terps end and raced the length of the field before dishing to Marcantonio. The goal came at 60:43.
* Goalkeeper Noah Palmer made just one save to record his 25th career shutout and his fifth in NCAA Tournament play.
Terps Earn Conference Recognition
* Maryland men's soccer coach Sasho Cirovski was named the Atlantic Coast Conference's Coach of the Year for guiding the Terps to a 16-2 record and the regular season ACC title. The award is the first for Cirovski, who is in his 11th season at Maryland.
* In addition to that honor, seven Terrapin players earned All-ACC recognition, including three on the first team: Scott Buete, Seth Stammler and Sumed Ibrahim.
Buete, a senior midfielder from Bowie, Md., was a second team All-ACC pick a season ago. This season, Buete has scored three goals and tallied three assists and proved to be one of the top two-way players in the nation.
Stammler, a senior defender from Gahanna, Ohio, also moved from the ACC Second Team last season onto the first team this year. Stammler, who has one goal and one assist from his center back position, has helped the Terps record 11 shutouts this season.
Sumed, a senior midfielder from Tamale, Ghana, became just the eighth player in Maryland history to be a three-time member of the first team. He is second on the team in scoring with seven goals and five assists for 17 points this season.
* Goalkeeper Noah Palmer, defender Clarence Goodson and forwards Domenic Mediate and Abe Thompson earned All-ACC Second Team recognition. The seven All-ACC selections are the most in school history for Maryland. Six players earned all-conference honors in 1968.
Familiar Faces
* The Terps' starting lineup from the 2002 ACC Tournament and College Cup returns intact, although injuries may force the lineups to be adjusted slightly. In addition to having all 11 starters from last year's championship team, the Terps also return 12 reserves. The Terrapins lost just one player from last season and added freshman goaltender Keegan Riseling to round out the roster.
The Last Time...
... won the ACC regular season title: 1971
... won the NCAA title: 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)
... went to overtime: Nov. 16, 2003 vs. Virginia
... won in overtime: Dec. 1, 2002, vs. Saint Louis (1-0)
... lost in overtime: Nov. 25, 2001, vs. Loyola
... tied: Nov. 16, 2003 vs. Virginia (1-1)
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, Erwin Diaz and Nino Marcantonio are more than capable of finding the back of the net.
* Thirteen different players have netted goals for the Terps this season, and 15 players (including all 11 regulars) have notched at least one assist.
* With the Terps' Domenic Mediate on the shelf and the questionable health of Abe Thompson, Maryland will have to rely on their depth to continue their run to the College Cup.
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 2,000 total minutes, or just over eight percent of the entire season. The Terps have not trailed in the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
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 12 of 22 opponents and are threatening the team record for shutouts in a season (13) that the unit set last season. Prior to the match against Akron, Maryland had not shutout its opponent in its last three matches, its longest shutout drought in the season.
* Only 11 goals have been scored on the Terrapins in 2,000 minutes of action.
PK's Are OK
* Maryland is a 6-7 on penalty kick attempts this season, with the only blemish coming Wednesday night when Samuel Cameron saved Abe Thompson's PK attempt.
* A.J. Herrera is 3-3, while Nino Marcantonio has converted two and 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 Maryland needed in a 4-0 win over UConn.
* However, Maryland was defeated 7-6 in the ACC finals in a shootout. After the Virginia and Maryland each converted on 3-of-5 attempts, the Cavaliers prevailed in sudden-death PK's.
Ball Control
* Maryland has been tremendous at controlling possession of the ball and dictating play through the regular season. In addition to the stout back line, the Terps' forwards and midfielders rarely give up the ball and constantly put pressure on opposing teams.
* In the 22 matches, Maryland outshot its opponents by a whopping 427-178 margin and have not been out-shot in a game all season.
* In two NCAA Tournament matches, Maryland holds a 40-18 advantage in total shots.
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, 11/10/03); First Team All-ACC; All-ACC Tournament
* Seth Stammler: Diadora Challenge Tournament MVP (8/31/03); Maryland/adidas Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team (9/7/03); College Soccer News Team of the Week (9/1/03); Soccer America Team of the Week (9/10/03); Academic All-District II Men's Soccer Team; First Team All-ACC; All-ACC Tournament; Verizon Academic All-American First Team
* 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); First Team All-ACC; All-ACC Tournament
* Abe Thompson: ACC Player of the Week (9/7/03); Maryland Student-Athlete of the Week (9/22/03); Second Team All-ACC
* 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); Second Team All-ACC; All-ACC Tournament
* Kenney Bertz: College Soccer News Team of the Week (10/12/03, 10/26/03); Soccer America Team of the Week (10/27/03)
* Noah Palmer:Second Team All-ACC
* Domenic Mediate: Academic All-District II Men's Soccer Team; Second Team All-ACC
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 78-26-4 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 2,018 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.
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 4-1 against ranked opponents in 2003, notching victories over No. 15 Furman, No.1 UCLA, No. 16 Wake Forest and No. 15 Akron, but losing to No. 5 North Carolina.
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 (80). 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 18 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 four players that make life a little easier for the forwards in Scott Buete, Sumed Ibrahim, A.J. Herrera and Abe Thompson.
* All four players are among the best in Terrapin history in dishing out assists, with Sumed ranking third with 26 career helpers, Buete ranking fourth all-time with 24 and Herrera's team high seven assists this season has vaulted him into sixth all-time with 21 career assists. Thompson is currently eight on that list with 18 career helpers.
Career Assists
1. Keith Beach 35
2. Eberhard Klein 32
3. Sumed Ibrahim 27
4. Scott Buete 24
5. Jason Sardis 22
6. Shane Dougherty 21
A.J. Herrera 21
8. Jason Cropley 18
Abe Thompson 18
So We Meet Again...
* With its match against UConn, Maryland faced three of its four opponents from last year's NCAA Tournament in the regular season (UCLA and American were the others). The Terps are 3-0 in the rematches this season.
* This season, Maryland has played NC State and Virginia twice. The Terps are 1-0-1 in rematches this season.
Terp Lineups
* With injuries along the Maryland front line and midfield, Terp head coach Sasho Cirovski has been forced to use 11 different starting lineups in the Terps' 21 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
* Clemson, Virginia, Bucknell, NC State (ACC), Virginia (ACC) (3-1-1):
Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Garey, 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
* Ohio State (1-0):
Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Bertz, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Garey, Vitagliano, Mediate
* Old Dominion (1-0):
Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, Garey, Mediate
* Akron (1-0):
Palmer, Stammler, Rodway, Lancos, Sumed, Herrera, Buete, Goodson, Thompson, Garey, Marcantonio
Head Coach Sasho Cirovski
* Maryland mentor Sasho Cirovski, the 2003 ACC Coach of the Year, has taken the Maryland men's soccer program to unparalled heights during his 11 seasons with the Terp program. Within his time at College Park, he has guided the Maryland squad to its only two ACC Tournament titles, the College Cup twice and nine NCAA Tournament berths to go along with numerous school records.
* Cirovski, a 1985 graduate of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, has amassed a 176-89-16 record in 13 seasons of coaching Division I soccer, including a 150-77-10 record at Maryland. He is the second-winningest coach in school history, trailing only legendary coach Doyle Royal.
* In addition to all of the success of his Terrapin teams over the past 11 seasons, Cirovski has spent a great deal of time and energy making Ludwig Field into one of the most fan-friendly places in the nation, with seating very close to the field.
Countdown To Kickoff
2,010
Fans that came to watch Maryland defeat Old Dominion, 2-1, on Wednesday night
427
Shots taken by Maryland this season in 22 games
150
Wins at Maryland for head coach Sasho Cirovski
105
Goals scored by Maryland over the past two seasons, third most in school history
111
Games of NCAA Tournament experience on the Maryland roster
77
Career NCAA starts on the Maryland roster
27
Points by Jason Garey this season, a team-best
20
The school record for wins, which Maryland would tie if they defeated Saint Louis
15
Wins by the Terps this season when tied or leading at the half
12
Different starting lineups used by Maryland this season
2
Times that Saint Louis defeated Maryland in the NCAA Finals
1
Loss at Ludwig Field over the past two seasons
0
Times that Maryland has been outshout in a game this season
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.
