COLLEGE PARK, Md. - In a scoreless battle, freshman Christoffer Wallander-Ianev waited alongside a goal-box scrum, hungry for an opportunity. The ball was knocked free in his path and he took advantage, grounding it past a frantic keeper to open the scoring in the 42nd minute of the Big Ten tournament's championship match.
The 2,272 fans at Ludwig Field erupted and his teammates chased the Swede, who bolted for the pitch's corner.
“I think it was one of the best moments of my life so far,” said Wallander-Ianev. “We had the Crew there too, on that side, so to be honest when I scored I didn't know what to do. I just ran. And they followed me.”
Playing in just five games before last Sunday's crucial contest, the young defender has searched for his role all season. Behind one of the team's most reliable players Jereme Raley, who started the first 20 games but was banged up last weekend, Wallander-Ianev's number was called for the tournament's ultimate tilt, responding with his first collegiate goal.
In the game's final five minutes, fellow freshman Jeroen Meefout also made his presence known, drawing a foul on his way past a defender just outside the penalty area, leading to the deciding free kick goal from Mael Corboz.
“I think they've got a little bounce in their step, smile's a little bigger,” head coach Sasho Cirovski said of his two youngest international players. “I think it was a good lesson for our whole team is just to be ready for your chance.”
A short time ago, the duo didn't know what Maryland was, but the program's prestige garnered Meefout's interest, as he watched Terrapin soccer videos online.
Growing up in the Netherlands and playing for a variety of professional youth teams, the 19-year-old forward said he reached a point where he had to choose between an education and soccer. In College Park, he could have both, and on a bigger stage.
“Sometimes the level might be the same in Holland with the reserve teams if you compare it to college soccer but the crowds are a lot less and here the crowds are amazing,” said Meefout. “I love the Crew and it's just amazing to play for all of those fans and to score a goal, the feeling is great.”
The freshman forward has scored two goals this season against Navy and Northwestern, and tallied an assist in a matchup with Wisconsin.
But Wallander-Ianev didn't have the yearlong correspondence with Cirovski that Meefout did of calling and eventually skyping with the coach. Instead, the defender's dreams to play professional soccer in Sweden went south, and late in the American college recruiting process, he emailed a bunch of coaches.
Sasho called back and it was only then that the incoming student-athlete knew he would be playing for the ACC-Champion and national runner-up Terps.
“I just wanted to go to a top program,” said Wallander-Ianev. “When I was looking at the ranking, after [Sasho] called because I didn't know about Maryland, I was really happy.”
But moving to America brought it's own set of challenges for both players, who had never before been to the States. Meefout never visited the school before coming, and had to begin classes his second day in the new country. Aside from missing home, he and Wallander-Ianev are getting used to speaking English every day as well as adjusting to college soccer, which the Swede describes as less “tactical” and more man-to-man play.
Heading into the NCAA tournament, which Maryland opens up on Sunday against UMBC, the Terps' depth will play a huge role in their intent to make this a five-match campaign.
Cirovski recounted the 2005 tournament en route to the school's second national championship, when he called upon freshman defender A.J. Delagarza for the postseason's final stretch. Maryland's First Team All-ACC center back Kenny Bertz suffered an injury in the quarterfinals and he needed the future MLS-player to fill those shoes.
It is stories like those that keep bench players hungry on one of the nation's most competitive college teams.
“The competition is always there, sometimes you get a chance and sometimes you come on the bench, but you just have to keep working hard,” said Meefout, who has played in 17 games, starting two of them. “The mentality is as important as talent to become as successful as you can be.”
Wallander-Ianev said the competition is something he didn't have in Sweden, and is helping him improve as a soccer player. That mindset for a player who has recorded just 282 minutes all year, as well as one pivotal play, can work wonders as we saw last Sunday.
“To be honest, I was struggling in the beginning when I got here and I think that goal gave me a lot of confidence,” said Wallander-Ianev, “so I hope this is a turning point that I'm going to start performing better."
Ben Strack, a senior journalism major at the University of Maryland, is a contributing writer to umterps.com.
