Maryland Soccer to Honor 1968 National Title Team
10/2/2018 2:02:00 PM | Men's Soccer
COLLEGE PARK Md. – The Maryland men's soccer program will honor the 50th anniversary of its first-ever national championship by welcoming back members of the 1968 title winning squad to Friday night's match against No. 5 Michigan State.
The team will be recognized on the field prior to the Terrapins' nationally televised match with the Spartans. Maryland and Michigan State shared that 1968 national title after the two teams played to a 2-2 draw and were named co-champions.
"On behalf of the University of Maryland Athletic Department and our men's soccer program, I am delighted to welcome back our 1968 National Champions," head coach Sasho Cirovski said. "In my first year at Maryland in 1993, we brought back many of these champions for a 25-year reunion celebration dinner, but this time, we will truly recognize them on Friday night at Ludwig Field. We will also honor them with their very own personalized national championship rings that they so thoroughly earned. When I took over in 1993, it was this group of champions that gave me great hope that winning national championships at Maryland was possible! I can't wait to see them and have our great fan base give them a rousing standing ovation on Friday."
Maryland's 1968 season was one of the finest seasons in program history. The Terrapins were the lone undefeated team in college soccer that year, finishing with a 14-0-1 record, and captured their 16th consecutive ACC title. The squad is one of three Maryland teams to finish the entire season unbeaten (1947, 1958).
Led by head coach Doyle Royal, Maryland's squad featured two All-Americans in center halfback Giancarlo Brandoni and goalkeeper Mario Jelencovich, along with All-ACC selections Rocco Morelli, Alvaro Bittencourt, Larry Ruhs and Melih Sensoy.
The team swept through the regular season, outscoring its opposition 44-8. The Terps drew a bye in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before defeating defending national champions St. Louis, 3-1, in front 8,500 fans in College Park. Maryland then dispatched Hartwick to advance to face San Jose State in the national semifinals in Atlanta.
In that national semifinal, San Jose State took a 2-0 lead before Morelli scored four goals including an overtime winner to lead the Terps to a 4-3 win. The national final saw Bittencourt and Jerry Chareczko score for Maryland, who never trailed in the 2-2 draw with Michigan State.
Maryland's Friday match with Michigan State will kickoff at 7 p.m., and be broadcast on BTN.
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