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University of Maryland Athletics

MSoccer vs Pacific
0
Pacific PAC (1-3-0, 0-0-0)
4
Winner Maryland UMD (3-0-1, 0-0-0)
Pacific PAC
(1-3-0, 0-0-0)
0
Final
4
Maryland UMD
(3-0-1, 0-0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Pacific PAC 0 0 0
Maryland UMD 1 3 4

Game Recap: Men's Soccer |

Maryland Dominates Pacific in 4-0 Saturday Win

An early goal from Luke van Heukelum set the tone for Maryland's third win of the season.

COLLEGE PARK, MD -  An early goal from Luke van Heukelum gave the Terps (3-0-1) a lead they'd never surrender and they took down Pacific (1-3) 4-0 at Ludwig Field on Saturday. 

van Heukelum scored his third goal of the season (each coming over the past two matches) in the 12th minute on a corner kick from Stephane Njike, who earned his second assist of the season.  Maryland outshot the Tigers 16-3 and 7-1 on goal in a first-half barrage to take a 1-0 lead into the half. A big Pacific save on a penalty kick late in the frame kept the match close as the two squads regrouped. 

The Terps broke through again in the 76th minute as Sadam Masereka found the back of the net for the second time this season. Rocket Ritarita and Lasse Kelp picked up assists as Maryland doubled its lead and built a cushion late. Ritarita then scored his first-career goal in the 84th minute as Mack DeVries picked up his first assist of the season.  Laurin Mack earned his sixth-career shutout in the win as Maryland remained unbeaten through four matches for the first time since 2022. Aidan Sheppela scored in the 88th minute from Ritarita's second assist of the match to cap off the 4-0 win.

How it Happened:
  • Luca Costabile recorded the match's first shot in the sixth minute, but it was blocked out front. 
  • Maryland scored on a corner in the 12th minute on a goal from van Heukelum (3) and an assist from Njike (2).
  • Pacific's Jacob Heisner earned a yellow card in the 14th minute on a foul on Costabile.
  • The Tigers' got penalized for a hand ball in the 44th minute, setting Costabile with a penalty shot, but Pacific made the save to keep the score 1-0 at the half. 
  • Maryland had a couple good looks on corners midway through the second half as the Terps continued to dominate the possession game. 
  • Pacific picked up its third yellow card of the match in the 76th minute.
  • Masereka scored (2)  in the 76th minute as Rtarita (3) and Kelp (2) picked up assists.
  • Ritarita scored (1) in the 84th minute from DeVries (1) to put Maryland ahead 3-0.
  • Sheppela scored in the 88th minute on Ritarita's (4) second assist of the match.
Numbers to Know:
  • 2: Maryland picked up its second win over Pacific. The Terps now lead the all-time series 2-0 with two shutout wins in College Park.
  • 2: Mack posted back-to-back shutouts for the second time in his career (Wisconsin & Indiana in 2024).
  • 4: Maryland is unbeaten through its first four matches to begin a season for the first time since 2022. 
  • 6: Mack posted his sixth-career shutout on Saturday. 
  • 7: van Heukelum leads the team with seven points in 2025. 
  • 10: The Terps have scored 10 goals in their past two games while not allowing any. 
  • 9: Mack faced four shots and made four saves in the win.
Cirovski's Takeaways:
  • "I think the heat was a big factor today for both teams, but I thought our depth came through a lot. I think we used our depth very well today."
  • "I felt in control the whole time. I'm not sure Mack had to make a save that mattered today. So, overall, a very good performance on a day where we had to shift schedules. That's not always easy."
  • "We're getting more dangerous on our set pieces, which is something you need to do to be a good team."
  • "We've gotten better defensively. We haven't lost too many shots in the last few games."
Rocket's Blast Off:
  • "We have diversity within and we have the depth to score a lot. I think coming off the bench, giving impacts as much as we can helps. When we come in, we're ready to go and ready to strike."
  • On his goal: "I just saw Mack with the ball and thought I should drift behind the defender. I knew he'd find me with that pass."
  • "Stephane is always encouraging me in practice, inspiring me to keep going, keep attacking as much as I can because I feel that's my biggest strength. He's helped me the most in that aspect."
Up Next: 
  • Maryland takes to the road to start Big Ten play in Madison, Wisconsin, against the Badgers (2-2) on Sept. 12. The match will start at 8 PM and air on B1G+.
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