Sept. 24, 2010

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Follow umterps.com's live blog as No. 5 Maryland battles No. 3 North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The Terps and the Tar Heels battle in Atlantic Coast Conference action Friday night.

6:14 p.m.
Welcome to umterps.com's live blog from Chapel Hill! Despite being surrounded by Carolina blue, there is a prominent Maryland vibe on campus this evening as the Terps volleyball team is also taking on Carolina next door. (Special good luck to them!) Nice to see some Crew faces already upon walking onto Fetzer Field. A big thanks to them for following the squad nearly five hours for tonight's important match. There is no doubt Maryland soccer has the best fans in the game!

6:36 p.m.
A longer commute to campus this evening than usual due to traffic but the Terps appeared comfortable and focused. It's tough to say that any ACC match is more important than the others as the conference is stacked from top to bottom, but its hard to ignore the budding rivarly between these two programs. Below is a list of the last ten meetings, including Maryland's win over the 'Heels in the 2008 national championship game. The Terps have won nine of the last 10 matches.
2009 - Maryland 1, UNC 0
2008 - Maryland 1, UNC 0 (national title game)
- Maryland 1, UNC 0 (ACC tournament)
- Maryland 2, UNC 1
2007 - Maryland 2, UNC 1 (OT)
2006 - UNC 1, Maryland 1 (OT)
2005 - Maryland 4, UNC 1
2004 - Maryland 4, UNC 2 (ACC tournament)
2003 - UNC 1, Maryland 0

6:57 p.m.
Starting XI for Maryland - Woodberry, Lee, White, Kemp on defense; Rodkey, Leikvang, Kassel, Cortes in the midfield and Townsend and Herrick up top. MacMath in goal.

7:10 p.m.
Maryland has put together two great offensive runs. First, Helge Leikvang put a slow-roller into the keeper after a solid drive by Herrick down the near sideline. Three minutes later, Casey Townsend's header sailed high off a tremendous serve from Billy Cortes with 36 minutes remaining in the first half.

7:11 p.m. Maryland 0, UNC 1
UNC strikes first as Michael Farfan's shot from nearly 30-yards out squeaked past a diving MacMath. Another unconventional score surrendered by the Terrapin defense. The Maryland offense continues to hold the majority of the possession.

7:17 p.m.
Maryland has not had a problem finding shots this season as it paces the league launching over 18 per match, but the Terps have had some struggles with sticking those chances. The squad once again leads their foe, 4-1, in the shot category through 17 minutes of play. (27:10 remaining in the first half)

7:25 p.m.
Kaoru Forbess will enter the game for Leikvang. Forbess has been a staple in the Terp midfield for two seasons. The Garland, Texas, native brings a finesse to the Terrapin attack. Alex Lee is playing a tremendous game at center mid. The junior seems to be around the ball at all times when the Tar Heels are on offense.(19:18 remaining in the first half)

7:30 p.m.
The Terps seem to be more patient in their attack in the second part of the first stanza. Maryland looks to be trying to utilize the outside lanes to spread out the match. Patrick Mullins has entered the match for Cortes. (16:20 remaining in the first half)

7:33 p.m.
Maryland just had its best chance at a goal so far this match. After a long serve across the box from Kemp, Rodkey chipped a ball into a driving Kassel in the box but Kassel's strike knocked off the near post. MacMath answered with a tremendous save on the other end of the field after a point-blank blast from Kirk Urso. (12:10 remaining in the first half)

7:44 p.m.
Maryland, which leads the shot category, 6-3, had another chance go awry after Townsend's shot went wide with in the 38th minute. Maryland defender Ethan White is also playing strong in the back. Lee, who has shifted to center after an injury to Greg Young, is really gelling well with White. Matt Oduaran and Jordan Cyrus replace Townsend and Herrick. Another great reaction save by MacMath in the 41st minute. Maryland will look to tie this match heading into half.(3:47 remaining in the first half)

7:48 p.m.
Tar Heels lead at the half despite Maryland owning the shot category. I would not be surprised to see the Terps come out with a greater focus on moving the ball to forwards Herrick and Townsend. Both have had limited chances in the first half.

8:05 p.m.
The second half of this heavyweight ACC battle begins. Forbess replaces Leikvang as a starter in the midfield. Look for Maryland to really take advantage of every scoring opportunity in the second stanza. This is a tough Tar Heel defense, led by reigning ACC Player of the Week Jalil Anibaba.

8:13 p.m. Maryland 0, UNC 2
A debateable Terp handball in the box set up a Tar Heel penalty kick for Farfan who connected for a 2-0 Carolina cushion with 37:52 remaining in the match.

8:22 p.m.
Good shot by Townsend in the box after Kassel forced the ball into the box. In an effort to up its offensive power, Mullins has moved up into more of an attacking role. Sunny Jane will also enter the match. Jane brings an immediate energy to the field. Look for the Terps to get a burst from this substitution. (28:06 remaining in the match)

8:27 p.m.
Jane made a great run down the near sideline but a serve from Townsend just missed the freshman from Prospect, KY. If you are not already doing so, you can also follow this match live on www.wmucsports.com. Big thanks to their crew for heading down to Chapel Hill. UNC is lining up for another corner kick. The Tar Heels now lead that category, 3-0. Maryland has lined up for more corners than its opponent in all six matches heading into this contest. (22:02 remaining in the match)

8:36 p.m.
MacMath showing again why he is one of the nation's best at his position with a fantastic save off a Dustin McCarty attempt. He is certainly keeping Maryland in this game. A Tar Heel handball in the middle of the box will set up a Terp penalty kick with 15:42 remaining.

8:40 p.m. Maryland 1, UNC 2
Kassel connects for his third goal of the season in the 76th minute and immediately snags the ball from the back of the net and retreats to midfield. The junior is now 2-for-2 in penalty kicks attempts in 2010.

8:45 p.m.
Townsend nearly tied the match but his header was saved by Tar Heel keeper Scott Goodwin in the 81st minute. Cirovski replaces Woodberry with Forbess in order to boost its offensive formation. Another quality scoring chance for Maryland shortly after as Forbess made a nice drive down the far side. (7:46 remaining in the match)

8:50 p.m.
Maryland has definitely not hestitated using its deep bench tonight as Paul Torres now enters the match for Oduaran. The majority of the game now being played out as a war of the midfield. (4:11 remaining in the match)

8:55 p.m.
The Terps continue to press up, notching two shots in the last minute of play - both saved by Goodwin. A free kick opportunity for Maryland with one minute remaining.

8:57 p.m.
Maryland drops to 4-2-1 (1-1-1 ACC) after a 2-1 loss in Chapel Hill. The Terps will have the week off before welcoming Duke next Friday, Oct. 1. The game will be televised live on Fox Soccer Channel and will be the official celebration of the 1,000th match in men's soccer program history. Stay logged onto www.umterps.com for all the details. Thanks for following!