Men's Soccer Round Up: 1/30

COLLEGE PARK, MD - The Maryland men's soccer program held its first media availability on Jan. 29 with head coach Sasho Cirovski, junior forward Justin Gielen and senior forward Paul Bin taking part. Here are the three takeaways as the Terps are through a week and a half of preseason training.

Win the College Cup and the COVID Cup:
Cirovski heaped praise on his players and staff for practicing discipline as the world continues to deal with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Terps' boss has preached to his squad since the fall that the only way to be in position to win the College Cup is to first win the "COVID Cup", a motivational phrase to maintain strict adherence to the medical guidelines and off-the-field practices needed to keep the Terps as healthy as possible. After almost a 14-month offseason, Cirovski was impressed with the form his players are in since the start of preseason camp.

"Through it all, I'm so proud of our players," Cirovski said. "The resiliency, the adaptability and the flexibility they showed was incredible. When we were told we would not have a season [in the fall], we challenged our kids to get better and they did. They really wanted to practice and play and get better. Our players have shown up in terrific shape this month. I was blown away by the form they were in."

Cirovski made special mention of support staff members Ryan Morrison (athletic training) and Ben Hoffman (sports performance) who played key roles in keeping the Terps healthy and prepared to train.

Old and New Faces:
The Terps boss sent off Ben and Matt Di Rosa, praising their performance on and off the field, as they head off to join their MLS clubs. Cirovski also announced the addition of four players to the roster for the spring: Niklas Neumann, Joshua Bolma, Alex Nitzel and Henry Hamilton. Neumann, who will miss the first three matches due to compliance, was an All-Big Ten selection in his freshman season in 2019. He will now compete for the No. 1 job against highly regarded freshman Jamie Lowell, a player who has impressed Cirovski with his development since coming on campus in the fall.

"We are losing two of the best kids in the country in Matt and Ben, but we've got enough quality and there will be no excuses," Cirovski said. "We have the depth and balance to still be a contender. We are competing and playing to win."

Cirovski said that the Terps had filed waivers for Bolma, Hamilton and Nitzel to play this spring as all three could potentially contribute. Bolma, a skilled attacking player from Ghana, has impressed so far in his first week in training. Hamilton and Nitzel, who have both featured at the FIFA U-17 World Cup for New Zealand and Germany respectively, would also factor in if cleared to play. Hamilton is a hard nosed competitor who Cirovski believes can contribute in a variety of spots while Nitzel can play in all four roles along the back line and also at the No. 6. He brings a distinguished youth pedigree after receiving the majority of his football education from Bayern Munich.

Gielen has been impressed by the work ethic of the mid-year enrollees and the freshmen class.

"Our new guys are really dedicated." Gielen said "Most of them are staying after practice to get extra touches, extra passes and extra shots. It's contagious. They've been a good example of how to come in and get your work done."

Oh Captain, Our Captains
Cirovski announced that Bin and senior forward Eric Matzelevich had been named the Terps' captains for the season. Two of the Terps most influential players, both have become key figures in setting the mentality of the squad.

"Paul is an incredibly positive guy and we've missed him on the field with his speed and relentless defensive pressing," Cirovski said "We've missed his energy. He's such a positive influence on the team and he means a ton. Eric is Mr. Maryland. What an incredible young man. The hardest worker every single practice and every single game. He's got a big M tattooed on his chest. He's going to have a big year for us."

Bin spoke to his adjustment of becoming captain and praised the chemistry the squad has developed since the fall. "I've never been the captain of a team so it has been a completely new role for me. I'm still learning and still growing day-by-day. I've been trying to stay positive. I'm just that positive guy. I don't think that will change at all, I'm always going to be that guy. I want to make sure guys know I'm here, that I'm not just this leader that no one can speak to. I'm a very social guy and that's helped me through this process."

Maryland's 2021 squad will begin its season on Feb. 19 at Penn State. The Terps will play a 10-match Big Ten schedule before postseason play. For more on Maryland soccer, stay locked on umterps.com.

Players Mentioned

Paul Bin

Joshua Bolma

Justin Gielen

Henry Hamilton

Jamie Lowell

Eric Matzelevich

Niklas Neumann

Alex Nitzl

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