Strack's Take: Terps Showcase Resiliency vs. VCU
10/8/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Terrapins edged VCU, 1-0, Wednesday night at Ludwig Field without their sideline general Sasho Cirovski. The Maryland coach served a one-game suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct following Sunday's overtime loss to Northwestern.
But the Terps (4-5-2) wouldn't need Cirovski on this night, as they controlled the tempo throughout, creating chances early and often. In the 17th minute, VCU's defense sent the ball back to goalkeeper Garrett Cyprus who set it up to kick it away. But senior midfielder Alex Shinsky hustled over, slide tackling Cyprus. He regained his feet and scurried past the last man between him and the open net.
The Rams' keeper reached out and interfered with Shinsky in desperation, receiving a red card and setting up a penalty kick. After the foul was sorted out, a poised Mael Corboz blasted it into the right-corner mesh for his third goal of the year.
With a man advantage for the remainder of the game, Maryland dominated the shot battle as they often have this season, notching 16 shots compared to VCU's four. But the Terps failed to score in the run of play, leaning on the early penalty for their only score.
To point out Maryland's inability to capitalize on the plethora of scoring opportunities would be beating a dead horse, but that doesn't make it any less true. Playing a man down for the final 74 minutes, VCU sat deep in their own zone opening up the top of the box for the Maryland offense.
In the 28th minute, Corboz – who led the team with five shots – made a nice move to gain some space, booting a left-foot shot off the crossbar from 20 yards out. With nine minutes remaining, a cross by Jake Areman found a driving David Kabelik, but the shot from point-blank range was handled nicely by replacement keeper Pierre Gardan. Five minutes later, a Michael Sauers kick was knocked away by Gardan, robbing yet another Terrapin hungry for the back of the net.
“I think we were a little unfortunate not to score a couple more goals but it is what it is,” said assistant coach Brian Rowland, who stepped in for Cirovski for Wednesday's match. “We'll keep building and hopefully gaining some more quality in the attack, but in terms of effort, in terms of commitment to each other and to defending, I couldn't be happier with the group today.”
The team needed a victory any way they could get it in an effort to turn around the frustrating first half of Maryland's inaugural Big Ten season, one that some could speculate helped fuel the well-respected Cirovski's suspension-bound outburst.
He will be back as Big Ten play resumes on Sunday afternoon against Penn State as the Terps look to reclaim control of their season, but Wednesday night proved Maryland can come together as a unit, even in their coach's absence.
“Coming into tonight we knew we had to win,” said Corboz, “I think from the last game and things that have happened since the last game, we came in with a little bit of fire and a little bit of anger. It was necessary to win tonight.”
Ben Strack, a senior journalism major at the University of Maryland, is a contributing writer to umterps.com.
