WASHINGTON DC - Sadam Masereka scored in the 65th minute while
Laurin Mack was stellar in goal as the Maryland Terrapins opened their season with a win over No. 25 Georgetown (0-1) in front of 1,863 fans on Monday night.
Masereka's timely goal and Mack's career night created a recipe for Sasho Cirovski's squad's first win of 2025.
A scoreless first half featured multiple scoring chances and defensive stands from both sides, but the two squads were knotted at zero at halftime with Georgetown leading 9-7 in shots, but Maryland recording six of the half's final eight.
Masereka found the back of the net in the 65th minute to record Maryland's first official goal of the season. Masereka had the lone goal in the Terps' contest at No. 6 Wake Forest that was canceled at halftime due to lightning. Monday's goal, however, would stand and be the difference in Maryland's first match of the season.
Mack was incredible in net on Monday, facing 18 shots and making a career-high six saves, many coming from close range. His impressive effort earned the Terps their first road win over a ranked opponent since 2022, which also came over Georgetown.
How it Happened:
- Luke Van Heukelum recorded Maryland's first shot of the season on a header in the sixth minute.
- Georgetown recorded its first shot in the ninth minute.
- Laurin Mack recorded his first save of the season for the Terps in the 12th minute.
- Mack made an impressive diving save in the 37th minute for his third save of the first half.
- Mack kept Georgetown off the board in the 57th minute with another diving save.
- Sadam Masereka scored in the 65th minute to break the tie on assists from Stephane Njike and Albi Ndrenika.
Numbers to Know:
- 8: Maryland attempted eight corner kicks in the win.
- 15: Maryland shut out Georgetown for the 15th time in the series history.
- 30: The Terps picked up their 30th win all-time over the Hoyas and now lead the series 30-7-2, dating back to the first meeting in 1952.
- 2019: The Terps start the season 1-0 for the first time since 2019.
- 2021: Maryland won its first road match of the season for the first time since 2021.
- 2022: The Terps picked up their first road win over a ranked opponent since 2022 (2-1 over No. 21 Georgetown)
Returning Success:
- Masereka, one of 13 seniors on the team, netted the Terps' first goal of the season.
- 10 of Maryland's 15 shots came from returning players.
- Ndrenika picked up his first assist of the season.
- Sophomore goalkeeper Mack recorded a career-high six saves in the win. He made 52 saves in net for the Terps last season.
Instant Impacts:
- Farouk Cisse logged two shots in 47 minutes despite being added to the roster on Aug. 23.
- Njike picked up his first assist as a Terrapin.
Season-Opening Stats:
- Both Maryland's men's and women's teams opened their respective seasons with shutout wins.
- Athletic Director Jim Smith made the trip to watch the Terps' first match of the season in person.
Cirovski's Summary:
- "This is a massive win against a great Georgetown team. We're very disappointed with not finishing the (Wake Forest) game on Thursday and tonight I'm delighted that we were able to finish the game against a great Georgetown team."
- "I thought our commitment from the first whistle to the last was exceptional. I think we did the things you need to do in a game against Georgetown. Our goaltender made some terrific saves, we had very good box defending and we also got the first goal. In the majority of our games against Georgetown, the first goal of the game seems to be critical."
Laurin's Strong Night:
- "That was a team effort. I feel like I made some great saves. A couple of mistakes led to those saves. I'm just trying my best to keep the ball out of the net and today (I had more) chances to do it (than) other games. I did my job pretty well, I'd say."
Up Next:
- Maryland heads to College Park for its home opener on Aug. 29, when the Terps will take on Bucknell at Ludwig Field. The match will start at 7:30 PM and will air on B1G+.
