DURHAM, N.C. – Freshman William James Herve and senior Amar Sejdic scored as the 11th-seeded Maryland men's soccer team topped sixth-seeded Duke to advance to the NCAA Tournament Quarterfinals.
The Terrapins (10-6-4) went ahead on Herve's highlight reel 24th minute goal before doubling the advantage through Sejdic in the 60th minute. Maryland advances to its first quarterfinal since 2015 and fourth in its last seven years. Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski has now won 10 games in 25 consecutive seasons.
"I am incredibly proud of our team tonight," Cirovski said. "That was an outstanding performance against a great team on the road in a big game. We did all the things you need to do to win a big game like this. We defended relentlessly. We scored a magnificent first goals and then got a great second goal off our pressure. I couldn't be more proud of how this team has come together since the beginning. There's a belief in this team right now."
Herve's opening goal was a brilliant one. Junior Paul Bin worked into a yard of space on the right side and fired a cross into the box. Herve rose to meeting the cross and scissor kicked a volley into the back of the net for his fourth goal of the season.
The Frenchman almost had a second minutes later when he took a half-volley from 30 yards out that Duke keeper Will Pulisic palmed onto the bar.
Sejdic almost opened his account in 33rd minute. The ball fell to the senior in the box and he attempted a right-footed effort that was cleared off the line by a Duke defender.
The Terps were fantastic defensively throughout the match and have no allowed a goals in the last 230 minutes of play. The Terps back line of Donovan Pines, Johannes Bergmann, Ben Di Rosa and Chase Gasper were fantastic in front of keeper Dayne St. Clair, who registered a season high eight saves.
Sejdic made no mistake 15 minutes after the interval. A turnover in the back sprung the senior and he finished past Pulisic from 12 yards out for his team leading seventh tally of the year. The Terps saw out the match from there, and are now 6-1-1 in their last eight games.
Maryland will face off with third-seeded Kentucky in Lexington on Friday, Nov. 30Â at 6Â p.m. with a trip to the College Cup on the line.
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