Maryland (12-3-2) vs. LIU (11-4-4)
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Ludwig Field
6:00 pm EDT
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland's men's soccer team will open NCAA Tournament play with a first round match against NEC champions LIU on Thursday night at Ludwig Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., and the match can be seen live on B1G+.
With a win, the Terps would travel to face 10th-seeded Saint Louis on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Terps have played in the second round in 19 of the last 20 seasons.
Maryland had seven players earn All-Big Ten honors:
Ben Bender (Big Ten Midfielder of the Year/First Team All-Big Ten),
Joshua Bolma (Big Ten Freshman of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten),
Brett St. Martin (First Team-All-Big Ten),
Niklas Neumann (Second Team All-Big Ten),
Caden Stafford (All-Big Ten Freshman Team),
William Kulvik (All-Big Ten Freshman Team),
Justin Gielen (Big Ten Sportsmanship Award).
STORYLINES
Back in the Tournament
- Maryland is playing in its 39th NCAA Tournament overall and 21st consecutive and earning a berth Monday afternoon.
- The Terps have won four national titles (1968, 2005, 2008, 2018) in school history and reached the round-of-16 in 19 of the last 27 years. Maryland's 21 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances represents the second longest active streak in the nation.
tuned up and ready
- Maryland went 2-0-1 in a three match exhibition slate. The Terps finished their dress rehearsal in style with a 2-1 victory over ACC favorite No. 3 Pittsburgh on Saturday night. Goals from junior Hunter George and Joe Suchecki propelled the Terps to the victory.
- The weekend prior, the Terps drew Temple, led by former assistant coach Brian Rowland, 2-2 at Ludwig Field before defeating Lehigh, 3-1, in Philadelphia.
- In the preseason polls, Maryland was just outside of the top-25 according to the United Soccer Coaches poll, getting the highest amount of votes of any team not included in the ranking. The Terps were picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten by the conference's head coaches.
Scouting LIU
- LIU finished the season with an 11-4-4 record, and the NEC Championship. The Sharks beat SFBK in penalty kicks Sunday to win the tournament crown.
- Maryland and LIU are facing off for the first time in men's soccer.
B1G PLAYERS TO WATCH
- Brett St. Martin, Malcolm Johnston and Ben Bender were named Big Ten Players to Watch, the conference announced prior to the season.
- St. Martin, a team captain for the second consecutive season, has been a rock at the right-center back spot for the Terps since the beginning of his sophomore season. St. Martin has started 31 matches over the last two seasons and played every minute of his junior campaign. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection last season.
- Johnston, a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection in 2019, has tallied six goals and four assists over the course of his first two seasons in College Park. He will play a key role as a box-to-box midfield player for the Terps this in 2021.
- Bender burst onto the scene as a freshman last season, starting all 11 matches and scoring two goals en route to Big Ten All-Freshman Team honors. Bender dazzled with his creative flair as an attacking midfielder and looked primed to breakout into the national conversation in 2021.
SCHEDULE NOTES
- After a truncated Big Ten only slate for last season, Maryland returns to its normal schedule for the 2021 campaign. Home matchups with Charlotte (8/26), UMBC (8/29), Michigan (9/17), Rutgers (9/28), Northwestern (10/8) and Indiana (10/31) highlight the Ludwig slate.
- The Terps also will contest two notable road matches locally. The Terps will face Virginia at Audi Field in Washington, D.C., on Monday, Sept. 6 and travel to face Georgetown on Saturday Sept. 11 at 1 p.m.
