Skip To Main Content

University of Maryland Athletics

MSoccer Vs Pitt
1
Pittsburgh PITT (3-4-1, 0-2-0)
2
Winner Maryland UMD (5-0-1, 1-0-0)
Pittsburgh PITT
(3-4-1, 0-2-0)
1
Final
2
Maryland UMD
(5-0-1, 1-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Pittsburgh PITT 0 1 1
Maryland UMD 0 2 2

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Stephane Njike's Goal Propels Terps to 2-1 Win Over Pitt.

Two second half goals would be the difference in Maryland's fifth win of the season.

COLLEGE PARK, MD — Maryland (5-0-1, 1-0 Big Ten) continued its hot start to the 2025 season, extending its unbeaten streak to six matches as the Terps defeated the Pittsburgh Panthers (3-4-1, 0-2 ACC) 2-1 at Ludwig Field on Friday night. 

Stephane Njike's goal in the second half gave the Terps a lead they wouldn't surrender in front of 2,754 fans as Maryland continued to draw one of the best average attendances in the country. 

The Terps peppered the Pitt defense with scoring opportunities in the first half, but were denied on several occasions. Maryland's barrage broke through in the 49th minute. Njike buried his third goal of the season as Sadam Masereka and Leon Koehl tallied assists to put the Terps ahead 1-0. Masereka found his third goal of the season in the 82nd minute on an assist from Kenny Quist-Therson, allowing a late Pitt goal to spoil nothing but a shutout.  The two-goal second half allowed Maryland to continue its best start to a season since 2021 and push its season goal differential to +14 as Sasho Cirovski's squad picked up its latest win.

How it Happened:
  • Njike recorded the match's first shot in the second minute. 
  • Pitt's first shot came in the fifth minute, but Mack made his first save of the night. 
  • The Panthers tallied the match's first corner in the sixth minute, but Mack kept it out as Pitt picked up a yellow card. 
  • Maryland had a pair of corners midway through the first half, but couldn't break through. 
  • Rocket Ritarita had a great look in the 29th minute, forcing a Pitt save and setting up the Terps' fifth corner of the opening half. 
  • Maryland fought off a Pitt breakaway in the 33rd minute without allowing a shot.
  • The Terps defended a late push in the first half to protect the 0-0 score and take it into the half.
  • Maryland outshot Pitt 10-4 in the first half.
  • Njike scored his third goal of the season in the 49th minute as Masereka and Koehl picked up assists.
  • Pitt picked up another yellow card in the 54th minute.
  • Maryland drew a yellow card in the 60th minute. 
  • Masereka had a pair of shots blocked on multiple good looks in the second half. 
  • Maryland drew a corner in the 77th minute, but it led to a Pitt breakaway, which Masereka fought off. 
  • Masereka scored in the 82nd minute for the third time in 2025 as Quist-Therson picked up his first assist of the year. 
  • Pitt picked up another yellow card in the 84th minute. 
  • Maryland fought off another Pitt corner in the 86th minute. 
  • Pitt scored in the 88th minute to cut the lead to 2-1, where it would stay until the final horn. 
Numbers to Know:
  • 5: Maryland improves to 5-0 all-time against the Panthers. 
  • 5: Maryland is unbeaten in its past five home matches, dating back to last season.
  • 6: The Terps are unbeaten through their first six matches for the first time since 2021, when they were undefeated through their first seven.
  • 8: Njike's third goal moves to eight points on the year, bumping him into a tie with Ritarita for the team-high. 
  • 12: Maryland was +12 in shots on Friday (19-7). 
  • 15: Maryland moved its season goal differential to +15.
  • 2,754: Maryland drew a crowd of 2,754 fans on Friday night for its big win.  
Cirovski's Takeaways:
  • On Masereka and Njike: "They're two special players. They have a great combination of speed and skill and athleticism. They've been a godsend. They've been terrific. Njike had a great first half and we felt like we deserved a goal, and sure enough, he got one."
  • "I thought we had a really good first half. I thought we did well, but we had nothing to show for it. But we came out in the second half and were a lot higher quality when we had the ball in the final 30."
  • "Ritarita is showing what a good player he is. He's a nice blend of Stephane and Sadam."
  • "We want to cook with gas. We wanted to make sure we weren't settling for a 1-0 win. The mantra in the second half was we wanted to score a second goal."
Up Next:
  • Maryland takes to the road for a clash with Penn State in State College, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 23. The match will start at 8 PM and air on BTN.
Print Friendly Version