Sept. 14, 2011

LIKE! Maryland Athletics on Facebook

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - No. 1 Maryland resumes conference play with a match against NC State Friday at 7:30 p.m. at Ludwig Field.

The Terps are off to their finest start in eight years, winning their first six matches to kick off the the 2011 campaign. The newly-crowned No. 1 team in the country escaped a near-upset at UMBC Tuesday night, dropping the Retrievers, 4-3. Casey Townsend recorded his second career hat trick and John Stertzer headed home the game-winner in the 104th minute to pace the Terps.

NC State heads into its ACC opener with a 2-1-2 record, including a win against then-No. 9 SMU earlier this season.

Tickets and Game Promotions
· Click here for ticket information for all 2011 Maryland men's soccer home games.

· Click here for a complete list of game promotions for this season.

Parking Information
General Information: After 4 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends, there is no charge for parking in Lots Z1 or 1b or in Regents Drive Garage. Lots R2 and R3 are limited to vehicles displaying current valid permits for the respective lots at all times. The Stadium Drive Garage is closed on weekends.

Event Multimedia
· For a listing of games available on Terps TV and information on how to purchase, click here via TerpsTV All-Access.

· Fans will be able to follow all of the action on umterps.com via Gametracker.

· Maryland's student-run radio station, WMUC, will also be broadcasting the match at WMUCsports.com.

Follow Maryland Men's Soccer on Twitter

Scouting The Terps

· Maryland moved up to No. 1 in the NSCAA poll this week after sporting a perfect record through six games.

· The Terps are led on offense by 2011 MAC Hermann Trophy watch list selection Casey Townsend and his sophomore counterpart Patrick Mullins. Towsend, a Traverse City, Mich., native, is the top returning scorer for the Terps after scoring nine goals for 2010 ACC champion Maryland. He is already one-goal shy of that mark in 2011, with eight goals through six matches. The 2010 ACC Freshman of the Year, Mullins has five goals and has also dished an assist for 11 points.

· John Stertzer has been the statiscial leader in the midfield thus far, tallying four goals, including the game-winner in overtime at UMBC, and three assists. Kaoru Forbess, Helge Leikvang and Sunny Jane have sealed up the remainder of the midfield with rookie Alex Shinsky earning significant playing time as well as the first player off the bench. Jereme Raley has also seen action in the starting lineup.

·Taylor Kemp returns for his third season as a starter at outside back and, along with senior captain Alex Lee, have led a dynamic defensive effort through six games. Widner Saint Cyr and London Woodberry have been solid as well.

· Redshirt senior Will Swaim has started every match in 2011 at goalkeeper, replacing three-year starter and current Philadelphia Union goalkeeper Zac MacMath.

2011 Preseason Preview
· Part 1: Forwards featuring Casey Townsend
· Part 2: Midfield featuring senior Kaoru Forbess
· Part 3: Defense featuring senior Alex Lee
· Part 4: Overall Outlook featuring head coach Sasho Cirovski
· WATCH! Season Preview Video

Scouting The Wolfpack
· NC State enters Friday night's match with a 2-1-2 record with wins over VMI and then-No. 9 SMU.

· NC State will open its ACC slate at Maryland Friday. The Wolfpack went 10-8-2 with a 1-5-2 mark in conference play in 2010.

· The Wolfpack is led by Ollie Kelly, who has tallied two goals this season. Through five games, NC State has outscored opponents 4-2. Fabian Otte is the squad's keeper, racking up 14 saves with a solid 0.36 goals against average.

· Maryland is 44-20-6 all-time against NC State, including a 3-1 win against the Pack last season in College Park.

Poll Central
· Follow the Terps and their opponents in the 2011 season via these national polls:
NSCAA Poll
Soccer America Poll
TopDrawerSoccer.com Poll

Terps Back On Top
· Maryland men's soccer has returned to the top of the national polls for the first time since beginning the 2009 season at No. 1 after winning the national championship in 2008.

· The Terps are currently No. 1 in all three major polls, including NSCAA, Soccer America and TopDrawerSoccer.com.

Townsend, Stertzer Lift Terps Past UMBC in Overtime Thriller
· Senior Casey Townsend tallied three goals and John Stertzer headed home the winner in overtime to lead No. 1 Maryland past UMBC, 4-3, in front of a Retriever Soccer Park record crowd Tuesday.

· Stertzer, after missing a possible game-winning penalty kick with 30 seconds left in the first overtime period, snagged a perfect cross from Taylor Kemp and headed home the winner from five yards out in the 104th minute. Townsend tallied his second-career hat trick to lead the Terps.

Terps Cruise to First ACC Win
· The No. 2 Maryland men's soccer team passed its first conference test Friday night with a 4-0 rout of No. 8 Boston College at a festive Ludwig Field.

· Sophomore Patrick Mullins scored twice and goalkeeper Will Swaim secured his third shutout of the season as the Terrapins outshot the Eagles, 18-4. Casey Townsend and Taylor Kemp accounted for Maryland's other two goals.

Jane the Playmaker
· Sophomore Sunny Jane has yet to net his first goal this season but that doesn't mean he hasn't had any effect on Maryland's high-flying offense.

· Jane has tallied a career-best four assists this season, a team-best average of .66 per game.

Cirovski Nets Career Win No. 300 vs. Radford Sunday
· Head coach Sasho Cirovski secured victory number 300 as the No. 4 Maryland men's soccer team defeated Radford, 2-1, last Sunday at Ludwig Field.

· The Maryland victory vaults Cirovski into 10th all-time amongst active NCAA Division I men's soccer head coaches.

Maryland Soccer on Display in Stanford Win
· The Terps needed only 22 seconds to net their first of four goals in a 4-0 rout of Stanford in front of 7,178 fans at Ludwig Field.

· The crowd, which ranked as the second most in Ludwig Field history, and a live Fox Soccer Channel audience were treated to four first half goals by the Terps, including two from senior Casey Townsend.

· The four first half goals were the most for the Terrapins since scoring four on September 15, 2009 against Duquesne in a 7-0 drubbing. Ironically, Townsend scored two first half goals in that match as well.

Two-timin' Townsend
· Senior Casey Townsend has been absolutely fantastic up-top in 2011, racking up eight goals in six matches this season.

· Townsend has already recorded two multi-goal performances this season, including his second career hat trick against UMBC.

Mullins Snags ACC Player of the Week nod
· Patrick Mullins has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Soccer Co-Player of the Week after tallying two goals against No. 8 Boston College last Friday.

· Mullins led Maryland to its first 5-0 start since 2004 with his first career two-goal outing in a 4-0 rout of the Eagles.

· The sophomore forward netted the second and third goals in the Terps' victory over BC. He was also named to both the College Soccer News and Top Drawer Soccer National Teams of the Week.

Head Coach Sasho Cirovski
· The winningest head coach in Maryland men's soccer annals, Sasho Cirovski returns for his 19th season at the helm of the prestigious Terp program. Here are just a few of his highlights with the Terps.

· National Champions (2005, 2008)
· NSCAA National Coach of the Year (2005)
· ACC Coach of the Year (2003, 2005)
· 16 NCAA postseason appearances
· Four ACC Tournament titles
· Six appearances in the College Cup
· 17 straight winning seasons
· 37 MLS players
· 30 First Team All-ACC picks
· Eight MAC Hermann Trophy finalists

Terps Top St. John's, West Virginia to Open Season
· A pair of second half surges lifted Maryland to its first two victories of the season, defeating St. John's, 3-0, and West Virginia, 3-1, in the Terps' opening weekend.

· Maryland rallied to overcome an early one-goal deficit against the Mountaineers for its first win at home in front of nearly 5,000 fans Monday.

Townsend Earns Preseason Honors
· Casey Townsend earned two lofty national preseason honors. The senior was named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List and garnered College Soccer News Preseason All-America honors.

· Townsend was tabbed to the initial 42-player list for the MAC Hermann Trophy, the top individual honor in college soccer. A senior from Traverse City, Mich., the 2010 First Team All-ACC pick is Maryland's top returning scorer after tallying nine goals as a junior.

· Townsend was also named a College Soccer News Second Team Preseason All-American. He is currently 15th in TopDrawerSoccer.com's listing of the top 100 prospects for professional soccer in the college senior class.

Three-Headed Maryland Monster
· Junior John Stertzer, senior Casey Townsend and sophomore Patrick Mullins have combined to total 17 of Maryland's 20 goals this season.

· Stertzer, a native of Oakton, Va., has tallied four scores, including the game-winner at UMBC, and also has three assists. Townsend has tallied a team-high eight goals, including a hat trick at UMBC. Mullins, last year's ACC Freshman of the Year, has five goals in 2011, including two against No. 8 Boston College.

Scoring Frenzy
· Maryland has recorded a hefty 20 goals in its first six matches in 2011.

· Maryland is averaging a league-best 3.33 per game heading into the NC State match Friday night. The squad is fifth in scoring offense and fourth in total goals nationally through five games.

Protect This House
· Maryland is tremendous at its home venue, Ludwig Field, boasting a 161-36-12 record since the facility was built in 1995.

· The Terps have not lost more than two games at home in a season since 2001, boasting a 95-11-8 record in the last 10 years.

ACC Freshman of the Year Returns for Terps
· Sophomore Patrick Mullins was tabbed ACC Freshman of the Year in 2010 after appearing in 21 games and registering 14 points.

· As a midfielder, Mullins was also a TopDrawerSoccer All-Rookie second team pick.

· The New Orleans, La., product will move up to a striker position in 2011, accompanying Casey Townsend and replacing four-year starter Jason Herrick.

From College Park to the MLS
· Maryland had another banner day at the 2011 MLS SuperDraft with three student-athletes being selected.

· Zac MacMath was selected by the Philadelphia Union with the fifth overall pick. Billy Cortes (38th - NYRB) and Jason Herrick (45th - Chicago) were also taken in the draft. Underclassmen Matt Kassel and Ethan White later signed homegrown deals with New York and D.C.

Terps Land Top Recruit
· Incoming freshman Alex Shinsky heads to Maryland as TopDrawerSoccer.com's No. 1-rated recruit in 2011. The midfielder is also the No. 2-ranked recruit in the nation by College Soccer News.

· Shinsky is a member of U-17 U.S. National Team where he scored a goal for the U.S. U-17 National Team in the FIFA World Cup in Malawi.

Will The Thrill
· Redshirt senior Will Swaim enters the 2011 season atop the depth chart at goalkeeper after serving as a reserve to All-American Zac MacMath for three seasons.

· Swaim began his career at Maryland as a starter during his freshman season and has made a valiant return to a starting role in 2011, giving up only five goals in six games thus far.

One for the Money, Two for the Show, Three to Get Ready, Four to Go...
· Maryland has won its first six games to start the season for the first time since 2003.

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. In Maryland's win against Stanford Sept. 2, a near-record crowd of 7,178 showed up to support the Terps in an early season non-conference showdown.

· 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.

The Terps When (2011)...

Follow Maryland Athletics on Twitter

Media Information
· Terps on the Web: For up-to-date game stories, statistics, schedules and results, and other Maryland athletic department information, please log-on to www.umterps.com on the Internet.

· GameTracker: Follow Terps games live in 2011 on your computer with GameTracker. Links for all games that will be available can be found at www.umterps.com.