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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No. 7 Maryland men's soccer team travels to Boston College for its ACC opener on Saturday, September 15 at 7:00 p.m. The Terrapins hold a 2-1-0 advantage in the all-time series as both teams won a game last season. The home team has yet to win a match in the series.
Terps Open Up ACC Slate On Road At Boston College
The No. 7 Maryland men's soccer team will open its conference schedule on Saturday, September 15 at Boston College at 7:00 p.m.
The two teams met twice last year with both sides earning a victory. The first meeting came on October 14 with the Eagles winning in their first match at Ludwig Field, 3-1. The Terrapins got their revenge in the ACC Tournament as they won 1-0 in overtime in the quarterfinals.
Maryland is coming off of a 1-1-0 weekend after losing in overtime to No. 20 West Virginia and beating George Mason, 3-0, on September 9.
BC is coming off of a victory as well, a 2-0 win against Fairfield on September 7.
Hall, Yates Lead Terps To 3-0 Win
Sophomores Jeremy Hall and Drew Yates led the No. 6 Maryland men's soccer team in a strong second half as the Terrapins scored all of their goals after halftime in a 3-0 win against George Mason on September 9 at Ludwig Field. All of the Terps' goals came in the last 20 minutes of the match.
Hall established career highs with his two goals and four points while Yates' three points is also a personal best.
Hall's two scores were the first of this season for him while Yates added his second goal of 2007. Seniors Stephen King and Aki Kadotani and junior Graham Zusi were each credited with an assist in the match. Kadotani's helper was the first of his career.
Freshman keeper Thorne Holder had to make just one save in his first collegiate start to earn the shutout.
Mountaineers Take Overtime Win On Sept. 7
After a back-and-forth 90 minutes that saw both teams squander opportunities, No. 20 West Virginia wasted no time in the first overtime to steal a win on the road. After the kickoff, Mike Anoia dribbled down the left side of the field and sent a cross into the box where Dan Stratford was waiting for the game-winner just 35 seconds into the extra session.
The 5,022 spectators that showed up for Maryland's 2007 home debut was the fifth-largest crowd in Ludwig Field history and outdrew the 4,565 that came out against NC State back on September 16 of last year.
Lockdown Defense
Maryland returned three starters on the back line from last year's squad that allowed just 16 goals, the fewest since 2003.
Senior tri-captain Spencer Allen started all 22 games a year ago, mostly at right back. He also shifted over to the left side when David Glaudemans was injured and junior Rich Costanzo filled the right side.
Junior A.J. Delagarza and sophomore Omar Gonzalez return after spending all of last season starting at the center back spot. Both started every game they played in last season.
The Terps defense helped pitch nine shutouts last season with five of them coming in a six-game stretch from September 13-29.
Maryland's experience showed in the first weekend at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic by allowing just one goal in two matches.
In the Terps' win against No. 10 Notre Dame, Maryland held the Irish to just three shots, all in the second half, and kept 2006 Hermann Trophy Winner Joseph Lapira in check.
Junior Michael Marchiano, who started at defensive midfield, and sophomore Omar Gonzalez were both named to the All-Tournament Team.
The Terps' defense did much of the same in their two games last weekend as they only allowed one goal with the score coming in overtime to West Virginia.
Maryland is allowing just 0.47 goals per game which ranks 19th in the country.
Scouting The Eagles
Boston College enters the match at 2-1-0 with its most recent win coming in its last match against Fairfield, 1-0, on September 7.
BC lost its top player in Charlie Davies who left early to play in Sweden. Davies scored 15 goals and added six assists in 2006.
Mor Avi Hanan returns at forward with his five goals and three assists from a year ago.
Rueben Ayarna recorded a team-high seven assists last season and earned All-ACC second team honors.
The Eagles return three starters on defense and their keeper, Chris Brown.
Mike Konicoff leads BC in scoring with his goal and two assists while Alejandro Bedoya and Sherron Mansweel have both contributed a goal and an assist.
Brown has allowed two goals in the three matches and has nine saves.
Series History
Maryland has a 2-1-0 lead in the all-time series against Boston College.
Neither team has yet to record a win on the road.
All-Time Meetings:
November 1, 2006: Maryland 1, Boston College 0 (2ot/ACC Tournament)
October 14, 2006: Boston College 3, MARYLAND 1
October 22, 2005: Maryland 3, BOSTON COLLEGE 0
(Home team in CAPS)
King Of The Pitch
Senior Stephen King is in his final season in red and black and has left an indelible impression in College Park. The second-year captain has started all 76 games Maryland has played since 2004, his freshman campaign.
King's 22 career assists ranks seventh all-time at Maryland while his 29 goals is just outside the top 10. His 80 points puts him at sixth on the career list.
His sophomore season, King scored 15 times and assisted others eight times. His goal number is tied for 10th all-time in a single season while his 38 points is tied for eighth.
King was named to the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic All-Tournament Team on September 2 after scoring a goal and an assist in Maryland's 3-0 win against No. 10 Notre Dame.
He was also named the Soccer America Player of the Week and was placed on the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week.
King added an assist in the 3-0 win against George Mason on September 9.
From A to Z-usi
Junior Graham Zusi, the leading scorer for the Terps in 2006 with 11 goals and seven assists, will look to make an even bigger impact this season.
So far, Zusi has done just that as he scored in both of Maryland's games at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. He was named the Offensive MVP at the tournament while being placed on the All-Tournament Team.
Zusi scored two goals that came on eight total shots in the two games. His goal against No. 7 Indiana on August 31 equalized the score at 1-1, which was the final, and came just 71 seconds after the Hoosiers had taken the lead. His goal against No. 10 Notre Dame proved to be the game-winner in a 3-0 win against the Irish.
The Longwood, Fla. native added an assist in Maryland's 3-0 win against George Mason, which now means he has scored in three of the Terps' four games this season.
Zusi started out hot last year as he scored a point in nine of the first 11 games that he played. Maryland went 8-0-1 in those games.
The Terps went 13-1-1 in 2006 when Zusi tallied at least one point and are 2-0-1 to start this year.
Cirovski's Legacy
Head coach Sasho Cirovski has built Maryland into the premier soccer program in the country. He has guided the Terps to the 2005 National Championship, 12 NCAA postseason appearances, five appearances at the College Cup, and two ACC Tournament titles.
Cirovski owns a record of 205-94-16 in 15 years at the helm of the program. His win total ranks second at Maryland all-time, just 13 behind Doyle Royal who went 217-58-58 with the Terps in 28 seasons.
Along with all of the team accomplishments, Cirovski has mentored some of the top student-athletes in the game. He guided Jason Garey to the Hermann Trophy in 2005, the program's first-ever recipient.
He has also produced two No. 1 overall MLS SuperDraft picks, three ACC Players of the Year, a national and ACC Freshman of the Year, 21 first team All-ACC selections, 19 All-Americans, and 28 MLS players.
The Ludwig Effect
Ludwig Field has developed into one of the most exciting places to watch a collegiate soccer match in the country as the men's soccer team has increasingly attracted more and more fans to the pitch season after season.
Maryland is 60-6-2 at Ludwig Field since 2002. Included in that number are two undefeated seasons in 2002 (13-0-0) and 2005 (11-0-2). The Terps have never lost more than two games at Ludwig in that span.
Last year, Ludwig Field saw over 40,000 fans come out to watch the Terps which set a school record. The total was second best in the country.
The Maryland soccer community came out in full force on Friday, September 29 as a record crowd of 6,489 fans watched their Terps take down No. 14 Duke, 1-0. The fans sparked an electric atmosphere for the match shown on Fox Soccer Channel. Maryland entered the field under a cloud of smoke and fireworks lit the sky during the national anthem and prior to player introductions.
In Friday night's match against No. 20 West Virginia, 5,022 spectators came out to root Maryland on in the 2007 home opener. That number ranks fifth all-time at Ludwig.
Top 10 Attendance Figures
Maryland is drawing some of the top crowds in the country as two of the top 10 attendance figures this season involve the Terps.
The 5,022 fans that came out on September 7 to Ludwig Field is the fifth largest in the nation this season and is the fifth largest all-time at Ludwig Field.
A total of 4,240 fans came out to watch Indiana and Maryland play to a 1-1 draw at the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. That number is the sixth highest in 2007.
The Terps are one of four teams that appear twice in the top 10 list as UCLA, Indiana, and Creighton all do as well.
Sunday Funday
Maryland loves to score on Sunday's. In their two games on that day, the Terps are 2-0-0 while outscoring their opponents 6-0.
The two 3-0 wins came against No. 10 Notre Dame on September 2 and George Mason on September 9.
In their two other matches which were both on Fridays, the Terps are 0-1-1 and are being outscored 2-1.
Non-Conference Dominance
The Terps have been impressive against non-ACC foes since the 2001 season, compiling a 78-18-5 record. Five of those losses came in a 10-5-0 2001 campaign.
Maryland went a perfect 10-0-0 in 2006 in non-conference outings. The last time it was undefeated out of conference was in 1986 when it went 11-0-0.
First To Score Wins
Last year, Maryland went 16-0-0 when it scored the first goal in a match. The Terps outscored their opponents 21-7 in the first half in 2006.
This year, Maryland is 2-0-0 when it scores first with 3-0 wins against No. 10 Notre Dame and George Mason.
The Terrapins have not lost a match when they strike first since October 2, 2004 - a total of 41-straight matches.
International Experience
Sophomores Omar Gonzalez and Jeremy Hall were both exposed to the international game over the summer as both competed for the United States at the Pan American Games held in Rio de Janeiro.
The Americans did not make it out of group play, but both Terps saw plenty of action on the pitch in Brazil. Gonzalez started at forward all three matches and scored twice against Bolivia.
Hall was the first player off the bench for the Americans in the first match and started the second.
Gonzalez started all 22 games at center back and contributed on the offensive end with a goal and three assists last season for the Terps.
Hall was second on the team with seven goals, and his three assists gave him 17 points, which was third on the squad. Two of his seven goals were game-winners.
Maryland Opens Up With Impressive Weekend
The Terps opened the 2007 season on a high note as they won the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic last weekend after tying No. 7 Indiana, 1-1, and beating No. 10 Notre Dame, 3-0.
The Terps and Hoosiers played to a thrilling draw on August 31. Kevin Noschang scored for the Hoosiers in the 25th minute but junior Graham Zusi responded just 71 seconds later with a goal of his own. Classmate Rich Costanzo provided the assist on a cross.
Both teams had opportunities to score the game-winning goal but came up just short. Noschang almost ended the game in the first overtime when he fired a shot that freshman keeper Will Swaim dove to his left for. His fingertip save kept the game going into the second overtime session.
Maryland was inches away from taking the win in the second OT as senior Stephen King hit the right post on a shot.
In the 3-0 victory against the Irish on September 2, Maryland dominated the entire way by outshooting Notre Dame 17-3. The Terps did not allow a single shot in the first half and kept 2006 Hermann Trophy winner Joseph Lapira in check.
King tallied a goal and an assist in the win while Zusi and sophomore Drew Yates scored the other two goals. Sophomores Jeremy Hall and Doug Rodkey were awarded assists as well.
Awards Roll In After Weekend At Indiana
Maryland reaped numerous rewards for winning the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic after going 1-0-1 last weekend. Senior Stephen King was named the Soccer America Player of the Week and was placed on the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week while junior Graham Zusi was named the ACC Player of the Week, was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week and was the inaugural Maryland Men's Player of the Week.
King was instrumental in the Terps' 3-0 win against No. 10 Notre Dame on September 2. The Medford, N.J. native recorded a goal and assisted on another to aid the Terps to their first win of the season. With the score 1-0 in the 41st minute, King had a defender on him on the left side of the box and kept trying to shake him to find an opening to deliver a cross. He faked towards the goal line and spun inside to send a pass into the box. The pass found sophomore Drew Yates who tucked a shot next to the right post to put the Terps up two.
King's goal came in the 70th minute after sophomore Doug Rodkey sent a ball into the box. The Fighting Irish keeper came out to catch the pass but the ball slipped through his hands and King was behind him to put the easy goal into the net.
Zusi scored a goal in each of Maryland's two games last weekend. His goal against No. 7 Indiana was the equalizer in the 1-1 tie as he scored just 71 seconds after the Hoosiers got on the board. His tally against No. 10 Notre Dame proved to be the game-winner in a 3-0 affair.
Both King and Zusi were named to the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic All-Tournament Team while Zusi was also tabbed the Offensive MVP.
Zusi Named Offensive MVP; Four On All-Tourney Team
Junior Graham Zusi was tabbed the Offensive MVP of the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic last weekend after scoring a goal in each of Maryland's matches.
His goal against No. 7 Indiana was the equalizer and got the Terps a tie against the Hoosiers in the season opener.
Zusi's score against No. 10 Notre Dame proved to be the game-winner in a 3-0 win.
He totaled eight shots on the weekend and five of them were on goal.
Three other Terps joined Zusi on the All-Tournament team including senior Stephen King, junior Michael Marchiano, and sophomore Omar Gonzalez.
King recorded a goal and an assist in Maryland's win against Notre Dame.
Draft History Made In 2007
Junior midfielder Maurice Edu became the second men's soccer student-athlete in Maryland history to be drafted with the first overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft as he was selected by the expansion franchise Toronto FC with the draft's first selection on January 12, 2007 at the Indianapolis Convention Center. Sophomore keeper Chris Seitz was taken fourth overall by Real Salt Lake.
It marked just the fourth time in MLS SuperDraft history that two student-athletes from the same school were selected in the top five.
It was the second time under head coach Sasho Cirovski that a Terp has been selected with the first overall pick. Leo Cullen was taken by Miami in 1998 with the first pick in the draft.
Edu and Seitz were also the seventh and eighth student-athletes under Cirovski's guidance to be taken in the first round. Since the draft's inception in 1996, Cirovski has produced 21 MLS SuperDraft picks.
Edu was the fifth student-athlete from Maryland to be selected first overall in his respective sport's draft. Men's basketball has had two top picks in John Lucas (1976) and Joe Smith (1995) and men's lacrosse had Joe Walters go first in 2006.