2005 :: Title Terps
• The Terps started the season slowly at 5-3-0, but Maryland went 10-0-1 in its next 11 matches and ultimately finished with a regular season record of 14-3-1.
• Maryland defeated Wake Forest in the first round of the ACC Championship, but lost to eventual champion Duke in the semifinals.
• For their efforts, the Terps were rewarded with the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
• Maryland faced Brown in the second round of the tournament and took a 1-0 win over the Bears. Marc Burch scored in the 26th minute for the game-winner as the Maryland defense held the Bears to just four total shots in the match.
• The Terps had to get past St. John's in the third round, a team they had faced the past two years in the NCAA Tournament with each team taking a victory.
• Maryland handled the Red Storm this time, winning a 3-1 decision to advance to the quarterfinals. Stephen King recorded two goals in the win and Robbie Rogers recorded a goal and an assist. Burch dished out two assists in the win while Chris Seitz was credited with six saves.
• The Terps had to face Akron in the quarterfinals in order to advance to their fourth-straight College Cup appearance. The Zips were the No. 8 seed and spent much of the season as the top team in the nation.
• Kenney Bertz struck first for the Terps in the 21st minute, but Akron responded before halftime with a goal of its own in the 44th minute.
• The teams traded quality chances in the second half and through two overtime periods, but the match would have to be decided by penalty kicks.
• Seitz forced two misses, including one save, and Burch converted the winning PK as the Terps moved on with a 4-1 win in the shootout.
• Maryland faced SMU in the College Cup for a chance to play for the national title and Maryland would easily get past the Mustangs, 4-1. Graham Zusi struck first in the 44th minute and Jason Garey scored twice within 15 seconds in the 47th minute, an NCAA Tournament record, to seal the win. King also scored for the Terps.
• In the NCAA title game, No. 1 Maryland faced No. 2 New Mexico for the first time. In the 31st minute, Burch took a free kick from 25 yards out and blasted it towards goal. The shot was redirected by New Mexico's wall and found the back of the net.
• In the 50th minute, the Lobos were awarded a penalty kick after a handball in the box. Seitz got a beat on Andrew Boyens blast to the right and made the stop, then forced the rebound to miss high. That was the last quality chance New Mexico got as the Terps won their first national championship since 1968.
"We have a saying in our locker room that says, `The greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.' I am very proud of the persistence our program has shown to be here in this position today." - Sasho Cirovski in the post-game press conference after Maryland's 1-0 win over New Mexico for the NCAA title. |
