Maryland (8-5-5, 5-3-2 Big Ten) vs. LIU (8-4-7, 4-1-3 NEC)
November 21, 2024
Ludwig Field
7:00Â p.m. ET
ESPN+
COLLEGE PARK, MDÂ --Â Maryland makes its return to the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, as it hosts LIU at 7:00 p.m. The match will be streamed on
ESPN+. This is the second meeting between the two programs in the NCAA Tournament, with them meeting at Ludwig in the first round of the 2021 tourney.
This marks the Terrapins'Â 23rd appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last 24 years, after missing the tournament following the 2023 season.
Maryland traveled to Chicago for the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, suffering a 6-0 loss to UCLA. The game remained scoreless early on, with both Maryland and UCLA creating a chance apiece early on. UCLA broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute to take a 1-0 advantage. The Bruins added their second goal just before halftime to take a 2-0 lead into the break. UCLA scored four goals in the second half to take the 6-0 victory. Colin Griffith led the Terps with three shots, while Laurin Mack made three saves.
Scouting the Sharks
- LIU comes into the NCAA Tournament after winning its second consecutive NEC title. After 110 scoreless minutes, the Sharks went to penalty kicks with NEC regular season champ Fairleigh Dickinson. The Sharks seasled the conference championship, winning on PKs by a score of 5-4.
- Stephane Njike and Alan Martinez lead the Sharks with five goals each, which is tied for ninth-most in the NEC. Njike also holds the team lead with four assists, a total tied for fifth in the conference.
- NEC Goalkeeper of the Year Eoin Gawronski leads the Sharks in the net. Gawronski leads the NEC with a GAA GAA of 0.98, while ranking second in shutouts with seven and third in saves with 58.
Series History - LIU
- LIU and Maryland have met on two occasions, with both teams splitting each match-up. The two teams last met in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, with LIU winning by a 1-0 scoreline.
- The game remained scoreless throughout the first half, with Maryland controlling the possession and outshooting LIU 5-0. Both teams struggled to create opportunities until the final 10 minutes of the match. Maryland created multiple chances in the final ten minutes but couldn't finish its opportunities. LIU scored the game-winning goal with 1:17 on the clock.
Kalm, Koehl, Kollected
- Sophomore Leon Koehl is tied for the team lead with six goals this season, with them all coming from the penalty spot. Koehl's effectiveness from the spot is much appreciated for the Terps, after the squad failed to convert on all four of their opportunities in 2023.
- Koehl is 6-6 from the penalty spot in 2024, which is the most for a Terps player since Patrick Mullins went 9-9 in 2013. Koehl's six penalty kick goals are the most in the Big Ten and the most in Division I.
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Koehl scored from the spot in consecutive games for the Terps on two separate occasions this season. Koehl first accomplished the feat against Virginia on Sept. 2 and Sept. 6 against Brown. He scored from the spot in Maryland's last two games, with PK goals at Indiana on Sept. 20 and at Northwestern on Sept. 27. Koehl also joins Johnston, who scored penalty kick goals in consecutive games in the 2022 season vs. Virginia on Sept. 5, 2022 and at Georgetown on Sept. 10 2022.
Aussie, Aussie, Aussie
- Yale transfer Max Rogers has been a crucial part of Maryland's offensive effort. Rogers currently has seven assists on the campaign, which is tied for the sixth-most in the Big Ten.
- Rogers had a hand in all three goals for the Terps in their conference-opening win over Wisconsin on Sept. 20. Rogers got his first assist in the game in the 17th minute, whipping a corner kick into the box to set up Chris Steinleitner for his first goal in a Maryland uniform. His second assist came just after halftime, delivering a free kick to the back-post for Bjarne Thiesen to double the Terps lead at 2-0. Rogers' final assist came in the 53rd minute, finding Colin Griffith in space for a shot just outside of the box.
- It marked the second consecutive season a Terps player had three assists in a game, with Luke van Heukelum picking up three assists in Maryland's win over Villanova on Oct. 10, 2023.
Max Rogers leads the Terps with seven assists on the season. That total is tied for the sixth-most in the Big Ten.
The Griffith Show
- With a game-winning goal in the 74th minute against Washington, Colin Griffith scored his team-leading sixth goal of the season. Six goals is also a career-high for goals in a single-season for the junior forward. Griffith's previous season-best was three during his freshman season in 2022.
- It was the fourth game in a row that Griffith had scored in a match. Griffith previously scored against Northwestern (Sept. 27) and Penn State (Oct. 1). The last Terp with a score streak as long as Griffith was Ben Bender, who scored in five-straight games in 2021.
- Griffith has now scored in consecutive games twice this season. Earlier this season, Griffith scored in consecutive games against San Diego State on Sept. 9 and then No. 8 Wisconsin on Sept. 13. It was the second time in his career that Griffith scored in consecutive games. Griffith last scored goals in back-to-back games on Nov. 4, 2022, against Northwestern and Nov. 9, 2022, against Indiana.
Griffith scored in his fourth-straight game on Oct. 11 against Washington. Griffith has scored in consecutive games twice this season. This is the second time this season and third time in his career the junior forward has done it, The first time occurred Nov. 4, 2022, against Northwestern and Nov. 9, 2022, against Indiana.
Big Ten Honors
- Six Terps were awarded Big Ten postseason honors, including William Kulvik who was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Team captain Alex Nitzl earned Maryland's Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
- Kulvik added First Team All-Big Ten honors, following a season where he started 17 games and was second on the team with 1,524 minutes played. Kulvik was joined on the first team by Leon Koehl, who is tied for the team lead with six goals this season and has two assists.
- Representing the Terps on the All-Big Ten Second Team was the duo of Colin Griffith and Max Rogers. Griffith is tied with Koehl for the team lead in goals with six, a total that is a career-high for the junior forward. Rogers started every game for the Terps, while leading the team with seven assists in his first season in College Park.
- Goalkeeper Laurin Mack earned Big Ten All-Freshman honors. The Emmendingen, Germany product made 17 starts in the net for Maryland, making 48 saves and picking up three shutouts. Mack made a career-high five saves in three games this season, making five stops against Indiana (9/20), Washington (10/11), and Ohio State (11/3).
William Kulvik was one of six Terps to earn Big Ten honors. Kulvik was named to conference's Defensive Player of the Year and while also being First Team All-Big Ten selection.
