COLLEGE PARK, Md. - More than two decades ago, Sasho Cirovski came to Maryland looking to build something special. A program with the prestige of a college soccer powerhouse and the well-earned respect from the rest of the country. A club like the Hoosiers.

“Indiana was the big program always in the Midwest when I was going to school,” said Cirovski. “It's a program I've always had great respect for. In fact, when I first got to Maryland, I said I want to build my Indiana here…but we were chasing Virginia.”

Indiana's 14 conference titles and eight national championships speak for themselves, creating a seldom-seen passion for soccer in the city of Bloomington. During Cirovski's tenure, the legendary coach – in his 22nd season – has brought a similar brand of winning to College Park, claiming a host of ACC titles while leading the Terps to national championships in 2005 and 2008.

Sunday's matchup against this season's No. 5 Indiana team (8-1-3) comes in the midst of a three-game win streak as Maryland (6-5-2) vies to continue climbing out of the early-season hole they dug themselves into.

And what better opponent than a national power like the Hoosiers to peek their intrigue and demand their focus in a transformational stretch of the season. A team that bested the Terps in the 2004 national semifinals after Indiana midfielder John Michael Hayden put home a header with 48 seconds left in the second overtime en route to a seventh championship.

“They're always fantastic matches,” said current Indiana head coach Todd Yeagley who worked as an assistant at the time, “but that one was certainly one that took a lot out of us because we were pretty wiped out for the final that year against Santa Barbara based on a very tough semifinal with Maryland.”

The Terrapins' first Hermann Trophy winner, Jason Garey, recalls the heartbreaking match that ended Maryland's 17-6-2 season, scoring the first goal of the game. But his fondest memory came from the next year's rematch with the Hoosiers in front of a then-record Ludwig Field crowd of 6,203.

Garey had dislocated his shoulder the game before and his status was questionable heading into the match. He was cleared last minute, scoring two goals in the first half, including a stellar bicycle kick from 11 yards out.

“I was playing with a shoulder brace on and was lucky enough to be able to pull off the bicycle kick,” said Garey. “I'll always remember that moment there on senior night.”

The Terps took a 3-0 lead to the half but Indiana would rally back to force an improbable tie with five seconds left in regulation, adding another instant classic to the sprouting rivalry.

“Playing those Indiana teams was always something special,” Garey said. “They always had very special players as well so it was just kind of two titans of college soccer meeting up.”

But since another tie in 2007, the teams hadn't met again…until now. Though conscious of trying to pencil in the Hoosiers on their schedule, Cirovski said it was always tough to coordinate.

But with Maryland's move to the Big Ten, that problem is solved, and the pair of schools will be seeing plenty of one another in the coming years. Now quite comparable to Indiana in recent accolades and fan following, Coach Yeagley acknowledged the Terps' noticeable contribution to college soccer.

“You always know Maryland's going to be in the mix and it's good for our sport,” he said. “They've elevated the crowd atmosphere and that's all helping everyone around the country.”

Mutual respect aside, the game is a perfect opportunity for the Terps to extend a streak and beat a top-five opponent for the second time in three games.

“It just takes one big win,” preached Garey, who said he's been following the team since he graduated in '05.  “Once you start building that confidence with a big win or one of your key players starts scoring goals, that's just something that can turn a team around in a second.”

Cirovski did not build an Indiana, but rather restructured Maryland, garnering a reputation he had always hoped for. Because of this, opponents see past the Terps' recent adversity and know just what they are capable of each and every year.

“Maryland is much more explosive than their record thus far has indicated,” said Yeagley. “They played a really difficult schedule which is a mirrored philosophy of both programs and we know it's going to be a great match.”

Ben Strack, a senior journalism major at the University of Maryland, is a contributing writer to umterps.com.