University of Maryland Athletics

The Crew

Men's Soccer

Game Preview: Maryland vs. UMBC

Maryland (1-0-0) vs. UMBC (0-1-0)
August 29, 2021
Ludwig Field

7:30 pm EDT

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -  The Maryland men's soccer will look to win two straight to start the season when they face UMBC on Sunday at Ludwig Field. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., and fans can watch the action live on B1G Plus. Fans can purchase tickets here or buy at Ludwig Field box office. The match will be a part of men's soccer "Move-In Madness." All students living in dorm rooms on campus that have moved in will be invited to attend the game with their families, who will receive free admission to the game with a voucher distributed during move-in.

Maryland opened the season with a 1-0 with over No. 18 Charlotte at Ludwig Field. Freshman Caden Stafford provided the winning tally in the 39th minute of an assist from Jacen Russell-Rowe. The Terps were tremendous defensively, with center backs Brett St. Martin and Chris Rindov rock solid in the center and Nick Richardson and Alex Nitzl standing out at the outside back positions. 

THIS WEEK'S STORYLINES

JOIN THE CREW/Fan information

  • Thursday's match against Charlotte will marked the return of Maryland's famous student-section "The Crew" after an absence of 644 days. The notorious student fan group has established itself as the most well known college soccer fan section in the nation. 
  • Members of The Crew receive access to scarf and shirt giveaways along with special access to road match trips. To sign up for The Crew, click here
  • Maryland plays in front of the most raucous atmosphere in college soccer at storied Ludwig Field. The Terps have ranked in the top eight in the nation in attendance in 18 straight seasons, including first in 2019. After a win on Thursday, the Terps are 9-0-1 in their last nine home openers. 
  • Fully vaccinated guests are not required to wear a mask at outdoor athletic events. However, all attendees will be required to wear a mask or face-covering in any indoor space, including suites and restrooms, regardless of vaccination status, unless actively consuming food or beverage.  In compliance and coordination with public health guidance, COVID-19 data, and our county mandates, the University of Maryland requires unvaccinated individuals to wear a mask while outdoors in crowded spaces. Full updated COVID-19 protocols for Fall 2021
Ludwig Field
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 is 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. 
Hunter George
SERIES HISTORY/Scouting UMBC
  • Maryland is 12-3-4 against UMBC all-time. The two teams last met in 2017, a 1-1 draw in Baltimore. 
  • UMBC enters Sunday's contest after a season opening 2-2 home draw with Navy. Julian Conze and Justin John Langba were on the score sheet for the Retrievers. 
  • UMBC posted a mark of 3-4-1 in the spring 2021 season. The Retrievers had an opportunity to secure one of four America East playoff spots in the season finale, but dropped a tough 1-0 decision at NJIT. 

Joe Suchecki
B1G PLAYERS TO WATCH
  • Brett St. Martin, Malcolm Johnston and Ben Bender were named Big Ten Players to Watch, the conference announced this week. 
  • 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. 
Brett St. Martin
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. 
Starting XI Charlotte
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Players Mentioned

Ben Bender

#8 Ben Bender

MF
6' 0"
Sophomore
Malcolm Johnston

#11 Malcolm Johnston

MF
6' 0"
Junior
Alex Nitzl

#5 Alex Nitzl

D
5' 11"
Sophomore
Nick Richardson

#22 Nick Richardson

D
5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
Chris Rindov

#18 Chris Rindov

D
6' 2"
Junior
Jacen Russell-Rowe

#13 Jacen Russell-Rowe

F
6' 1"
Sophomore
Brett St. Martin

#12 Brett St. Martin

D
6' 0"
Senior
Joe Suchecki

#21 Joe Suchecki

MF
6' 2"
Sophomore
Caden Stafford

#10 Caden Stafford

F
6' 0"
Freshman
Hunter George

#7 Hunter George

F
5' 8"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Ben Bender

#8 Ben Bender

6' 0"
Sophomore
MF
Malcolm Johnston

#11 Malcolm Johnston

6' 0"
Junior
MF
Alex Nitzl

#5 Alex Nitzl

5' 11"
Sophomore
D
Nick Richardson

#22 Nick Richardson

5' 10"
Redshirt Junior
D
Chris Rindov

#18 Chris Rindov

6' 2"
Junior
D
Jacen Russell-Rowe

#13 Jacen Russell-Rowe

6' 1"
Sophomore
F
Brett St. Martin

#12 Brett St. Martin

6' 0"
Senior
D
Joe Suchecki

#21 Joe Suchecki

6' 2"
Sophomore
MF
Caden Stafford

#10 Caden Stafford

6' 0"
Freshman
F
Hunter George

#7 Hunter George

5' 8"
Junior
F