Nov. 23, 2008
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COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Following Friday night's first round of play, the second-seeded Maryland men's soccer team now knows its opponent for its opening match in the 2008 NCAA Tournament. The Terps will face Colonial Athletic Association Champion George Mason on Tuesday at 7 p.m. under the lights at Ludwig Field in College Park.
Maryland rolls an 11-game winning streak into tourney time, including three shutout performances en route to the program's third ACC Tournament Championship last weekend in Cary, N.C. The Terps topped North Carolina, Boston College and then Virginia all by the score of 1-0. Maryland dominated the all-tournament team, placing four on the squad, including All-ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player Jeremy Hall. Junior Omar Gonzalez and freshmen Casey Townsend and Zac MacMath also dotted the list. Hall scored two of Maryland's goals while Townsend was a constant headache for opposing defenses. Gonzalez led the backline and MacMath was flawless in goal, not surrendering a score in the three-game tournament. The Terrapin defense has been tremendous at the back end of the season, yielding a mere five goals in the last 11 appearances.
George Mason downed Penn, 1-0, Friday night at home to advance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1996 when it dropped Virginia by the same score. Freshman midfielder Eber Martinez netted the lone score in the 47th minute to lift the Patriots. GMU has ripped off eight consecutive victories. The Patriot defense has also been strong this season, recording ten shutouts on the year and six in its last eight outings. The attack is paced by Maryland-native Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe, who has registered team-highs in every offensive statistical category including goals (9), assists (7) and points (25). George Mason has matured as a squad this season, returning eight starters from a team that went only 5-11-2 a year ago.
Separated by only 32 miles, the Patriots and Terps have met up 13 times prior to Tuesday's showdown, with Maryland owning the all-time series edge, 7-5-1. Maryland played host to George Mason just last season, tallying a 3-0 victory against the Patriots. Jeremy Hall established a then-career high with two goals and four points to lead the Terrapin late second-half surge. Drew Yates also had a career-day, posting three points on a goal and an assist.
Ludwig Field is no stranger to hosting NCAA Tournament action as it has done so 25 times in the facility's 13-year history. Maryland is 16-6-3 at Ludwig during tournament play. The Terps have secured their seventh-straight seed and look to extend their prestigious six-year streak by being the only team in the country to earn a seed and reach at least the third round of the tournament.
Tickets are available for early purchase by logging on to www.umterps.com.
