No. 6 Terps Roll to Lehigh Tuesday
10/11/2010 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Oct. 11, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The No. 6 Maryland men's soccer team seeks its fourth straight shutout when it treks to Bethlehem, Pa., for a non-conference match with Lehigh Tuesday.
Maryland (7-2-1, 3-1-1 ACC) jumped to second place in the Atlantic Coast Conference standings with a 7-0 rout of Virginia Tech on Friday night in Blacksburg. Five players scored for the Terps, who own the league's highest scoring offense averaging 2.8 goals per match. A steadfast Maryland backline, led by junior goalkeeper Zac MacMath, has racked up six shutouts in 10 games in 2010.
Lehigh (4-4-2) has been accustomed to low-scoring affairs on both sides of the ball this season, scoring only nine goals but also surrendering a mere nine goals defensively through its first 10 matches. Maryland is 2-0 all-time against the Mountain Hawks.
Tuesday night's contest will conclude a two-game road swing as the Terps return to College Park for a matchup with Clemson Saturday.
OFFENSE ON DISPLAY IN TERPS 7-0 ROUT OF TECH
• Five players accounted for seven goals as the No. 6 Maryland men's soccer team trampled Virginia Tech, 7-0, Friday night.
• Maryland started its scoring early and ended late, netting its first goal at 4:20 and concluding the offensive eruption at 70:19. Matt Kassel, Casey Townsend, Paul Torres, Jason Herrick, and Patrick Mullins all found their way into the scoring column while the Terps secured their sixth shutout of the 2010 campaign behind a three-save effort from Zac MacMath.
• The seven-goal outing Friday night is the highest scoring performance for Maryland since last season when it toppled Duquesne, 7-0. The Terps have now tallied 28 goals through 10 matches, the most since the 2004 season.
HERRICK NAMED LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS CANDIDATE
• Senior forward Jason Herrick is one of 10 NCAA men's soccer finalists for the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award, which honors student-athletes who excel both on and off the field.
• Herrick has started all nine matches and contributed three goals for No. 6 Maryland. He netted his first score of the season while leading the Terps to a 5-0 rout of Northeastern before tallying a pair of goals in a key conference win against N.C. State. Fans can vote online at http://www.seniorclassaward.com/vote/mens_soccer_2010/.
OFFENSIVE FIREWORKS
• Maryland erupted for seven goals against Virginia Tech last Friday, its highest goal output since a 7-0 rout of Duquesne last season.
• Five players netted goals for Maryland, led by a two-goal showing from senior Jason Herrick.
• It was the largest margin of victory for Maryland against a conference foe since 1996 when it toppled NC State in the ACC Tournament, 7-0. It's the largest in regular season ACC play since defeating Duke, 8-1, in 1965.
THE 2010 SEASON - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
• Maryland made its 29th appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season. It was the 15th under head coach Sasho Cirovski.
• In addition to returning the most experience since the 2008 national championship squad, the Terps boast the fifth-best recruiting class in the nation this season.
• The Terps return nine starters from 2009, including All-ACC honorees Jason Herrick and Zac MacMath. Maryland has five seniors and six juniors on its roster this season.
• Maryland, which plays in the always-tough ACC, once again faces one of the toughest schedules in the country, battling nine teams that participated in the 2007 NCAA Tournament and five that are ranked in the NSCAA Preseason Top 20.
• Seven of the first nine teams the Terps face in 2010 advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAIN HAWKS...
• Lehigh (4-4-2) is coming off a scoreless tie at Navy last weekend.
• The Mountain Hawks have only managed nine goals this season but, conversely, have also only given up nine scores in 10 matches. Two-thirds of the team's offense in the 2010 came via wins against Rutgers (3-0) and Princeton (3-2).
• Joe Puleo leads the attack with four goals. Kevin Strunk is the main set-up man with a team-high three assists.
• Jonathan Nydell paces the Mountain Hawk defense with a 0.86 goals against average between the pipes.
• Maryland is undefeated in the all-time series, 2-0.
MARYLAND UPSETS NO. 2 UCONN, 1-0
• The No. 6 Maryland men's soccer team handed No. 2 UConn its first loss of the season, 1-0, at Ludwig Field.
• The Terps stymied a potent UConn offense that had amassed 26 goals through its first nine matches.
• Freshman Patrick Mullins notched his third goal of the year after his header in the 35th minute sailed past outstretched UConn keeper Josh Ford to his left from 12-yards out for the eventual game-winner. Sophomore Paul Torres was credited with the assist. It was only the fourth goal UConn has allowed in 2010.
• Zac MacMath recorded his second straight shutout against a top-10 ranked opponent behind a strong defensive effort by the Maryland backline. UConn, which entered Tuesday's match averaging over 17 shots per game, was outshot 17-13 in the non-conference showdown.
KASSEL NAMED ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
• Junior midfielder Matt Kassel was named ACC Men's Soccer Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 4, after guiding No. 8 Maryland to a 2-0 victory over Duke..
• Kassel provided his Terrapins with the game-winner against Duke in front of a Ludwig Field record crowd of 7,260.
• Playing an integral role in holding one of the nation's leading scorers in Ryan Finley (ninth) to a mere three shots and zero goals, Kassel now leads the team in goals (4), assists (4) and points (12).
TERPS TOPPLE NO. 9 DUKE, 2-0
• A Ludwig Field record crowd of 7,260 watched No. 8 Maryland snag a marquee conference win against No. 9 Duke, 2-0.
• Matt Kassel registered his fourth goal of the year when his penalty kick score gave Maryland (5-2-1, 2-1-1 ACC) the early lead at 33:25. Terp senior forward Jason Herrick was taken down in the box setting up the opportunity. Patrick Mullins provided Maryland with the insurance score at 41:07 when he ripped a rebound off the Duke backline and nailed a close-range strike from seven-yards out.
• The Terps moved to 4-0 this season in games where it leads at halftime. Maryland tallied its fourth shutout of the young 2010 campaign.
CELEBRATING 1,000 GAMES AND COUNTLESS MEMORIES
• Fans filled Ludwig over capacity Friday night and the crowd was also treated to a celebration of the program's 1,000th game, which took place Sept. 21 against George Mason.
• An array of alumni spanning the 64-year history of the storied program commemorated the feat with a pregame ceremony at midfield.
• The game was also televised nationally on Fox Soccer Channel.
MARYLAND BLANKS MASON IN 1,000th MATCH
• The No. 5 Maryland men's soccer team celebrated the 1,000 match in its program history with a win against George Mason, 2-0, at Ludwig Field.
• Sophomore defender London Woodberry netted his first career goal and the Terps benefited from an own goal to move to 4-1-1 on the year. Maryland has won three consecutive matches after going 1-1-1 to start the year.
• The win avenged a tough loss in Fairfax, Va., against George Mason (4-2) in 2009. The shutout performance is Maryland's third in 2010 as a strong defensive effort held the Patriots to a mere three shots in the match.
THE TOURNEY STREAK
• Maryland has been to the NCAA Tournament nine consecutive seasons and 15 out of the last 16 seasons.
• In those nine seasons, Maryland has advanced to the College Cup five times (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008), racking up national titles in 2005 and 2008.
• The Terps saw their nation-best streak of seven straight seasons with a first-round bye snapped in 2009.
• Maryland is 42-24-4 in 29 NCAA appearances.
KING OF THE KASSEL
• Matt Kassel has emerged as a point-scoring machine for the Terps. Last season, the midfielder totaled eight points on one goal and six assists.
• The junior from Bridgewater, N.J., has already amassed 15 points (five goals, five assists) this season, dominating his goal output from a year ago.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL...
• Maryland has scored 28 goals through its first nine matches.
• That number is the highest total since 2004, when the squad scored 36 through its first nine games. The Terps landed in the national semifinals that season.
DISHIN' IT OUT
• Maryland boasts two of the top assist men in the country as Matt Kassel and Doug Rodkey have teamed up for nine this season.
• Kassel leads the Terps with five assists. Rodkey, a sixth-year senior, has 15 in his career and is looking to top his single-season high of nine as a member of the 2008 national championship squad.
MOVING FORWARD
• Casey Townsend and Jason Herrick are in the middle of their third season working together up-top for the Terps.
• The pair has combined for nine of Maryland's 28 goals this season. Both have also registered two-goal game performances in 2010 - Townsend against Northeastern and Herrick against NC State and Virginia Tech.
BALANCE
• Maryland has prided itself on a balanced attack this season, with 12 players contributing at least one point in 2010.
• 10 players have also scored goals this season for the the top-ranking offense in the ACC.
AIM AND SHOOT
• Maryland leads the ACC in shots this season, averaging a hefty 17.38 per game.
• The Terps are outshooting their foes a staggering 156-86.
YOUNG GUNS
• Maryland has picked up some vital points from its underclassman group.
• Freshman Patrick Mullins leads the unit with four goals and three assists. Sophomore London Woodberry (one goal, two assists), Sunny Jane (one assist) and Paul Torres (one goal, three assists) have also made point contributions this season.
MOLDING A TOP-NOTCH BACKLINE
• After giving up an uncharacteristic four goals in the season opener, the Terps have only surrendered four goals in nine games since.
• The defense is led by left centerback and U.S. U-20 team member Ethan White and converted forwards and/or midfielders Tayor Kemp, Alex Lee and London Woodberry. Fifth-year senior Greg Young also provides leadership to the backline.
BACK ON TRACK
• After missing the majority of the 2009 season, junior Casey Townsend, one of the most prolific goal scorers in all of college soccer, returns to the starting lineup in great shape this season. He teams up with First Team All-ACC selection Jason Herrick up front.
• In addition, Doug Rodkey returns after missing the majority of the season with a foot injury. Starting defender Alex Lee is also back in the lineup.
NO. 5 RECRUITING CLASS
• Head coach Sasho Cirovski and his staff has assembled one of the top recruiting classes in the nation. In addition to Patrick Mullins and Gordon Murie, who enrolled early this spring, Maryland will also welcome Marquez Fernandez, Tsotleho "Sunny" Jane, Jereme Raley and Helge Leikvang this season.
RODKEY BACK FOR MORE
• Maryland senior Doug Rodkey returns for a sixth season after an injury sidelined the midfielder his sophomore and senior campaigns.
• He will be aiming to be the first male athlete in Maryland history to win three NCAA championships.
TAIL OF TWO GAMES
• Terrapin goalkeeper Zac MacMath had a rollercoaster opening weekend.
• After giving up a career-high four goals (he surrendered only nine his entire freshman campaign) against Michigan State, the junior U-20 team member rallied to post his 20th career shutout against Northeaster.
U.S. WINS U-20 MILK CUP TITLE
• Zac MacMath and Ethan White headed up the U.S. under-20 national team this July for the Milk Cup in Northern Ireland, ultimately taking home a title in the annual international youth soccer tournament.
• MacMath posted a clean sheet in goal in a 1-0 victory against China while White started and played almost the entire match in a 3-2 victory against Denmark two days later.
MARYLAND MSOC LIVE
• Fans will be able to watch every Maryland men's soccer regular season home game live from their computer this season with a subscription to TerpsTV on umterps.com!
• Premium TerpsTV programming requires a subscription which ranges from $9.95 monthly to $79.95 annually for all content.
• To sign up, log on to www.umterps.com/allaccess/.
WELCOME TO FAN-FRIENDLY LUDWIG FIELD
• The Maryland men's soccer team has increasingly attracted more and more fans to Ludwig Field season after season. Heading into this season, more than 325,000 fans have filled the stands to take in exciting Terrapin soccer action since the facility opened in 1995.
• A program-high crowd of 7,260 watched Maryland top No. 9 Duke in 2010. The Terps were second nationally in overall attendance in 2009.
• Maryland has averaged more than 2,000 fans per match in each of the last seven seasons.
HERRICK, MACMATH TABBED TO HERMANN TROPHY WATCH LIST
• Senior Jason Herrick and junior Zac MacMath have been tabbed to the 2010 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List.
• Herrick led the Terps with nine goals in 2009 and has been a mainstay up front for the Terps for three seasons. The Elmhurst, lll., native was selected as a First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference pick in 2009.
• MacMath was an NSCAA Third Team All-American and First Team All-ACC selection as a sophomore last season. He helped lead the U.S. to a Milk Cup title in Northern Ireland as a member of the U-20 team.
TERPS IN THE COMMUNITY
• Maryland spent the spring semester not only prepping for the upcoming 2010 fall slate, but also making a difference in the community.
• The team raised $1,500 for Justin's Quest in ticket sales at its spring match against Virginia in addition to shooting baskets with Justin Friedlander to raise awareness for brain tumors.
• The Terps also teamed up to help raise over $3,000 for the relief effort following the devastating earthquake in Haiti by selling t-shirts. The effort, which corresponded with former Maryland great Seth Stammler's `The Sporting Chance Foundation' hit close to home for the Terps, as sophomore midfielder Widner Saint Cyr grew up in Port-Au-Prince.
