STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - The No. 21 Maryland men's soccer team returns after a 15-month absence from the pitch Friday night at No. 23 Penn State. The match will take place indoors at Holuba Hall and will be streamed on Big Ten Network Plus.

Meet Your Opponent

Maryland and Penn State have contested 44 matches, with the Terps holding a 24-20-0 advantage in those contests.

The Terps have dominated the Nittany Lions since joining the Big Ten, holding a 5-1-0 record in conference matches. Penn State did get the best of the Terps in State College last season, overcoming a 2-0 deficit to win 3-2 in extra time.

The Terps and Nittany Lions are ranked No. 21 and No. 23 by Top Drawer Soccer. College Soccer News has Maryland at No. 12 and Penn State at No. 21. The United Soccer Coaches apparently decided to put no rankings out prior to the spring season.

Finally, Footy

The Terps will play on Friday for the first time in 453 days when they kickoff on Friday night. Maryland's fall season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The opening match is the start of an all conference slate of 10 matches.

The Terps home opener is Saturday, Feb. 27 against Ohio State.

Big Ten Breakdown

The Terps were chosen to finish second in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll behind unanimous No. 1 choice Indiana. Maryland finished fifth in the conference last season. In their short history in the conference, the Terps have won three Big Ten Tournament championships and two regular season titles. Junior defender Brett St. Martin and senior forwards Paul Bin and Eric Matzelevich were named Big Ten Players to Watch.

For more on Bin, check out his Terps Q&A from One Maryland Magazine.

A Twin Win

Maryland seniors Matt Di Rosa and Ben Di Rosa were selected in the MLS SuperDraft on Jan. 21. Matt, who was selected in the first round by Toronto FC, has departed the Maryland program and headed to Toronto to join up with his new club.

Ben will take part in Maryland's opening two fixtures before heading to New York to join NYCFC, who selected him in the second round. Consistent contributors on and off the field during their time at Maryland on and off the field, they will look to become the latest Terp success stories in MLS.

Coaching Movement

Assistant coach Scott Buete will depart Maryland after Friday's match to become the head coach at Salisbury. Miles Vaughn, who served the last two seasons at the Terps' director of soccer operations, will become interim assistant coach.

Buete has done nothing but win in his association with Maryland, capturing a national title, a combined 152 wins, four conference tournament titles, three conference regular season titles and 10 NCAA Tournament appearances in his 11 seasons as a player and coach with the program. After coming close as a player in multiple College Cup appearances, Buete helped Maryland capture the ultimate prize in 2018 as the Terps engineered an end of season turnaround for the ages en route to the National Championship.

Making a Difference

To conclude the first annual 10K for $10K Run for Equality Campaign, Maryland soccer and the VOYCENOW Foundation announced distribution of funds to multiple local organizations.

With the help of donors across the country, $13,000 was raised and will be distributed to four Maryland-based organizations. Funds will be used to further the education and community initiatives led by the Dream BIG Foundation, the Prince George's County Boys and Girls Club, and the Boys and Girls Clubs of America in Baltimore and Washington D.C. In addition, each organization will also receive at least 40 brand new soccer balls from Cirovski and the Maryland men's soccer program.

The VOYCENOW Foundation was founded in 2020, during historic civil rights protests across the U.S. and globe, by professional soccer players and University of Maryland Men's Soccer alumni Zack Steffen and Alex Crognale.