Sept. 22, 2011

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COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Top-ranked Maryland faces its first conference road test at Virginia Tech Saturday night. Game time is slated for 7 p.m.

The Terps (7-0-1, 2-0-0 ACC) remained unbeaten with a scoreless tie at Seton Hall Tuesday. Maryland recorded another solid defensive performance, blanking its fourth opponent of the young season. Keith Cardona tallied one save in his first collegiate shutout.

After falling to East Tennessee State in its last outing Tuesday, Virginia Tech heads into the weekend with a 3-4-0 record including a 1-1-0 clip in the ACC. The Hokies knocked off then-No. 1 North Carolina, 1-0, in double overtime Sept. 10 at Thompson Field.

Event Multimedia
· A webcast of Saturday's match will be available on Virginia Tech's athletic website. Fans who would like to purchase the live webcast can do so by paying the monthly fee of $9.95. Click here for more information: Hokies All-Access.

· Fans will be able to follow all of the action with Live Stats.

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Scouting The Terps

· Maryland remained unbeaten with a scorless tie at Seton Hall. The Terps boast four shutouts this season and are outscoring opponents a devastating 23-6.

· 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 eight 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 five 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 the first player off the bench. Jane leads the Terps with five assists. 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 eight games. Widner Saint Cyr and London Woodberry have been solid as well. Maryland is surrendering a mere 0.75 goals per contest. They have allowed only 17 shots on goal all season.

· Redshirt senior Will Swaim has started every match but one 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 Hokies
· Virginia Tech is 3-4-0 entering the weekend. The Hokies fell to East Tennesee State, 1-0, their last time out.

· Virginia Tech has used a balanced scoring attack through seven games this season with only one player - David Clemens - tallying more than one goal in 2011. Ben Strong leads the squad with two assists.

· The Hokies have had a rollercoaster season thus far, upsetting No. 1 North Carolina Sept. 10, but conversely losing to Howard to open the year in the Bisons' lone win this season. Virginia Tech also gave No. 11 Boston College a strong challenge before falling to the Eagles, 4-3, in overtime.

· Maryland leads the all-time series, 7-1-1.

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

Maryland Picks up Shutout in Scoreless Tie at Seton Hall
· The top-ranked Maryland men's soccer team remained unbeaten with a scoreless tie at Seton Hall Tuesday night.

· Maryland outshot the Pirates a massive 23-6, led by five shots each from Casey Townsend and Sunny Jane. Freshman Keith Cardona, who made his first start at keeper while making a return trip to his home state of New Jersey, tallied one save in the shutout.

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 in their second week at No. 1 in all three major polls, including NSCAA, Soccer America and TopDrawerSoccer.com.

Mid-week Overtime
· In its two mid-week matches this season, Maryland has been forced into double overtime on both occasions.

· Maryland topped UMBC, 4-3, in the game's 104th minute and the Terps tied Seton Hall, despite owning the shot category, 23-6, and allowing the Pirates only one strike on goal.

Terps Extend Streak with Win over NC State
· Three different Terrapins scored to lead No. 1 Maryland to a defeat of NC State, 3-1, Friday night at Ludwig Field to advance to 7-0 in 2011.

· Mikias Eticha scored with just 16 seconds left in the first half while Jereme Raley and John Stertzer added goals ten minutes into the second frame to help secure the victory for Maryland.

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.

· 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 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 five assists this season, a team-best average of 0.63 per game.

Cirovski Nets Career Win No. 300 vs. Radford
· Head coach Sasho Cirovski secured victory number 300 as the No. 4 Maryland men's soccer team defeated Radford, 2-1, 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 seven matches this season.

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

· He was tabbed to TopDrawerSoccer.com's National Team of the Week for his efforts 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.

· 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 18 of Maryland's 23 goals this season.

· Stertzer, a native of Oakton, Va., has tallied five 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 23 goals in its first eight matches in 2011.

· Maryland is averaging a league-best 2.88 per game heading into the Virginia Tech match Saturday night. The squad is first in total goals and second in scoring offense nationally through seven games.

Protect This House
· Maryland is tremendous at its home venue, Ludwig Field, boasting a 162-36-12 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 96-11-8 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 six goals in seven games thus far.

One for the Money, Two for the Show, Three to Get Ready, Four to Go...
· Maryland has gone unbeaten in its first eight 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)...

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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.