Ready To Roll: Maryland Men’s Soccer 2026 Preview
Fresh off an incredible 2025 season, the Terps look to continue to set the standard of soccer in College Park.
Brady Ruth, Staff Writer
8/19/2026
College Park is synonymous with collegiate soccer, and the 2026 men’s soccer season promises to be another action-packed year for the Terps in head coach Sasho Cirovski’s 34th year at the helm. The message for the season is simple, and the expectations haven’t changed.
“We have a really good lineup this year,” Cirovski said. “We have some young, talented players, some very good transfers, and a very strong returning group. I think the depth of this squad is probably the best we’ve had in over a decade. We’re much deeper than we’ve been.”
Maryland enters the season hot after a momentous 2025 campaign that featured a remarkable 13-2-4 record, an undefeated regular season, a Big Ten Championship, and an NCAA Tournament quarterfinal appearance.
“We’re a very talented group,” senior midfielder Leon Koehl said. “We’re very hungry to learn. We’ve got a great group of guys, and I’ve learned through our two exhibitions that we have a lot of quality all around.”
Gallery: Men's Soccer vs. UNC (Exh)
A preseason top-10 team and a favorite to repeat as Big Ten Champions, the Terps enter the 2026 season in a different spot than they did when they began 2025 unranked. Maryland is unfazed by the outside noise, however, and the Terps don’t recognize the spotlight. The play on the field will separate the best teams in the nation, and Cirovski is confident he has a roster built to compete in 2026.
I think we will have a very good team that should be a contender for Big Ten and national championships. That’s all I’m focused on right now. The rankings early in the year really mean nothing.Sasho Cirovski
New faces from near and far have assembled in College Park to continue the resurgence of Cirovski’s program that 2025 initiated. Among the 14 newcomers are a collection of talented freshmen — including Rodrigo Neri, Franklin Affanyi, and Said El Eyssami — and a batch of experienced players ready to shine under the Ludwig lights, featuring Lilian Fichelle, Dominic Ayella, and Marco Wright.
“All the new guys we’ve brought in bring their own special sauce to the table,” Albi Ndrenika said. “It’s going to be a different team from last year, but we’ve been coming together in a very unique way. Seeing a bunch of new guys stepping into their roles, taking pride in it, and really excelling makes me really excited.”
Gallery: Men's Soccer 2026 Season First Practice
Cementing this season’s roster is a collection of seasoned veterans encouraged by 2025 and shaped by years in Cirovski’s program. Among the six returning goal scorers from a season ago sit two of this season’s captains, Ndrenika and Koehl.
“Our job is to emphasize that this group is about winning,” Koehl said. “So far, everybody has realized it very well. We’re always reminding people to raise their level, and Sasho is very good about keeping us up.”
Rocket Ritarita, Farouk Cisse, and Henry Bernstein are back for another season in the red, black, and gold after standout campaigns a season ago. One key returner for the Terps in 2026 is the man who posted nine shutouts in net 2025: goalkeeper and captain Laurin Mack.
“We’re looking at him to continue to lead us from the back, both in possession and also in making big plays when necessary,” Cirovski said. “He’s capable of winning games with one big save when we need it, but he’s also a really big part of our attack as well. He has a great combination of both technical and goalkeeping skills.”
Mack sits on several preseason watchlists, but his expectations for the upcoming season are all internal. He knows his strengths, and he’s becoming more familiar with the new guys on the squad with each passing practice.
“I need to continue what I did last year,” Mack said. “My big thing is communication in the back and talking to my backline. My job is saving balls, so I’m definitely focused on that as well. I’ve been working on my relationships with my new centerbacks, so we’re on a good level going forward.”
The Terps will need Mack to be at his best, especially early in the season as they open the season with some stout non-conference matchups. Clashes with ranked High Point and Georgetown await Maryland before its 10-match Big Ten slate.
“Our players come here to play big opponents,” Cirovski said. “You need to play some teams outside of your conference that are big opponents, because you need to be ready for the challenge of the Big Ten. Those are exciting games, and we love those challenges.”
Maryland will lean on its vets and the young men who know the program inside and out to navigate the demanding schedule.
“We have a very good leadership group,” Cirovski said. “We have our three captains, Laurin Mack, Albi Ndrenika, and Leon Koehl, and then you add in Jace Clark, Kenny Quist-Therson, and Farouk Cisse, in terms of guys that are heavily invested into this program. I think a great team needs to be a player-led team, and this team has the makings of being a player-led team, so I’m hoping that’s where we end up.”
All season long, one of the top teams in the nation will go to battle, often at home, relying on the best fans in college soccer. Ludwig Field will play host to 10 matches in 2026, and the Terps will lean on their faithful fanatics to give them the boosts that only the Crew can provide.
Every home game is a big match. The fans and the Crew make every game packed and rowdy. I don’t think there are certain games that we’re looking forward to more than others, but we’ve got some pretty good teams coming in, and every home game is really special.Albi Ndrenika
