Maryland (9-5-5, 5-3-2 Big Ten) vs. No. 8 Wake Forest (10-4-7, 4-2-2 ACC)
November 24, 2024
Spry Stadium
6:00Â p.m. ET
ESPN+
COLLEGE PARK, MDÂ --Â Maryland continues its journey in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, as it meets former ACC foe #8 Wake Forest on Sunday, Nov. 24. Kickoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
In its return to the NCAA Tournament, Maryland picked up a 5-2 win over LIU at Ludwig Field. The five goals scored by the Terps tied a program record for goals scored in an NCAA Tournament game, marking the seventh time in program history they accomplished the feat. Alex Nitzl got the scoring started early for Maryland, netting his first career goal. After falling behind 2-1 in the 48th minute, Maryland would score four unanswered goals in the second half to get the win. Leon Koehl netted his team-leading seventh goal of the season, while the trio of Sadam Masereka, Luca Costabile, and Max Rogers each got on the scoresheet.
Scouting the Demon Deacons
- Wake Forest heads into the NCAA Tournament after winning the ACC title. Wake took down Clemson, winning the title on penalty kicks 7-6. The Deacons leveled the game at 1-1 in the 39th minute. Neither team could find the winner in regulation or overtime. Jose Perez knocked in the game-winning PK, with Clemson's effort going over the crossbar.
- Cooper Flax leads the Deacons with eight goals on the season, tied for the eighth-most in the ACC. Flax leads the team with 59 shots, which are also the most in the conference. Dylan Borso holds the team lead in assists with four.
- In the net Wake Forest is led by Trace Alphin, who has started all 21 games for the team. Alphin is second in the ACC with 57 saves, while his 1.04 GAA ranks fourth in the conference. The senior goalkeeper ranks second in program history with 6,599 goalie minutes played, while his 177 career saves ranked tenth in program history.
Series History - Wake Forest
- Wake Forest and Maryland have 39 meetings in the all-time series. Wake Forest holds the advantage over Maryland with a record of 19-15-5. The two teams last met last season, playing to a 0-0 draw
- The two programs met in College Park in 2023, with neither able to break down the opposing defenses in the 0-0 draw. The Terps outshot the Deacons 10-7. The Terps' best chance came on a penalty kick in the 72nd minute, but they could not convert. Wake Forest created an opportunity in the 87th minute, but the shot was just wide of the target. In the 89th minute, Trace Alphin made a final save to preserve the 0-0 draw.
Kalm, Koehl, Kollected
- Sophomore Leon Koehl leads the team with seven 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 7-7 from the penalty spot in 2024, which is the most for a Terps player since Patrick Mullins went 9-9 in 2013. Koehl's seven 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 nine assists on the campaign, which is tied for the third-most in the Big Ten. His nine assists are the most for a Terp since Jake Rozhansky in 2017.
- 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 nine assists on the season. That total is the most for a Terps sinceÂ
Jake Rozhansky in 2017.
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 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.
