No. 7 Terps Welcome Wolfpack Saturday
9/16/2010 8:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Sept. 16, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The seventh-ranked Maryland men's soccer team returns to conference play Saturday when it welcomes NC State to Ludwig Field. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.
The Terps (2-1-1, 0-0-1 ACC) are off to a scorching offensive start, netting 12 goals through their first four matches. That total is the most for a Maryland squad since 2005, when the Terps won their first national title since 1968. Billy Cortes, Matt Kassel, and Casey Townsend lead the attack with two goals each while keeper Zac MacMath paces the defensive unit with a pair of shutouts and a solid 1.17 goals against average.
NC State (2-2, 0-1-0 ACC) blanked VMI its last time out Wednesday. The Wolfpack backline has surrendered six goals this season but only one in its last two matches.
Fans that can't make it to College Park for the game Saturday night still have multiple opportunities to catch all the action on the web. WMUCSports.com will have a live radio broadcast and TerpsTV will webcast the match on www.umterps.com.
MULLINS LEADS TERPS PAST LOYOLA, 3-0
•Freshman Patrick Mullins netted his first collegiate goal as the No. 7 Maryland men's soccer team toppled Loyola (Md.), 3-0, Tuesday night at Ridley Athletic Complex.
•Mullins, who notched his first official score at 61:14 to give Maryland a two-goal cushion, was also responsible for the Terps' first tally of the match. His strike from six-yards out in the far corner hammered off the Greyhound backline for an own goal in the 39th minute.
•Junior Matt Oduaran padded the Terrapin lead to three when his header off a serve from London Woodberry on the far sideline went sailing past Loyola keeper Kyle Wittman at 73:20.
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.
MARYLAND NETS TIE AT NO. 5 BOSTON COLLEGE
• After giving up an early penalty kick goal, senior Billy Cortes tied the match in the 60th minute and junior goalkeeper Zac MacMath led the defense with a career-high six saves to preserve a tie at Boston College.
• The Terps gave No. 5 Boston College its first blemish of the season and picked up a valuable point in the always-challenging Atlantic Coast Conference standings.
• Senior Doug Rodkey picked up his team-leading second assist of the year on Cortes' header.
TERRAPIN SCORING FRENZY DOOMS NORTHEASTERN
• Maryland rebounded with a vengeance, dominating Northeastern, 5-0, in men's soccer action at Ludwig Field.
• After surrendering four goals in a heartbreaking loss to No. 24 Michigan State on Friday, the Terps (1-1) tallied their first win and shutout of the 2010 campaign against Northeastern (0-2). The junior combination of Casey Townsend and Matt Kassel combined for seven of Maryland's 16 points on the day, while keeper Zac MacMath notched his 20th career shutout in goal.
SCOUTING THE WOLFPACK...
• NC State is 2-2 heading into Saturday's ACC contest.
• The Wolfpack began the year with a double overtime win against Sacramento State. before falling to #20 Louisville and #3 North Carolina. The Pack topped VMI its last time out Wednesday.
• Michael Smith and Tyler Lassiter lead the offense with two goals each. Watt Williams boasts a team-leading three assists. The defensive unit, led by keeper Will Mackvick, has surrendered six goals this season, but only one in its last two matches.
• Drew Yates scored in the 89th minute to salvage a 1-1 tie as the Terps embarked on their first road trip of the 2009 season at NC State. Maryland had to play a man down after Doug Rodkey received a red card in the 37th minute.
• Maryland leads the all-time series, 43-20-6.
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 six points this season and has doubled his goal output from a year ago.
• Kassel is also Maryland's main corner kick specialist.
GOALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL...
• Maryland has scored 12 goals through its first four matches.
• That number is the highest total since 2005, when the squad scored 13 through its first four games. The Terps went on to win its first national championship since 1968 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 five this season.
• Rodkey leads the ACC with three, including one in Tuesday's win against Loyola. The sixth-year senior has 14 in his career and is looking to top his single-season high of nine as a member of the 2008 national championship squad.
A GREAT HOME SLATE
• In addition to its always challenging conference schedule which features home matches against NCAA Tournament participants N.C. State, Wake Forest and Duke, the Terps' non-conference slate is highlighted by contests against Michigan State (Sept. 3) and Connecticut (Oct. 5).
CELEBRATE 1,000 GAMES!
• Next Tuesday's game against George Mason is the 1,000th in the men's soccer program history.
• The Terps will celebrate the milestone match on the national stage when they play host to Duke Oct. 1 in front of a live FSC audience.
• Former men's soccer alumni are encouraged to contact Matt Burke at mrburke@umd.edu or Kyle Geddes at kgeddes@umd.edu to RSVP for the event.
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. The junior already has two goals in three games for the Terps in 2010. 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. 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 6,946 watched Maryland top No. 2 North Carolina in 2009, as the Terps were second nationally in overall attendance.
• Maryland has averaged more than 2,000 fans per match in each of the last seven seasons.
HERRICK NAMED LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS CANDIDATE
• Forward Jason Herrick has been named a candidate for the 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award.
• Herrick, who was also recently tabbed to the MAC Hermann Trophy watch list, led Maryland in scoring as a junior last season with nine goals. The Accounting major from Elmhurst, Ill., is a two-time captain for the Terps and has spent two years as a representative for men's soccer on the Student-Athlete Athletic Council.
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.
br>
