The Terrapin men’s soccer team took a red-eye flight home from Los Angeles Sunday night and returned with more than a basic case of jet lag.
Injuries are starting to pile up, and even though most are day-to-day cases and a talented freshman class has arrived to add depth, coach Sasho Cirovski is taking no chances going into this weekend’s home opener against Hartford.
Freshman Casey Townsend was injured and left in the first half of Sunday’s 1-0 loss against California. Freshman midfielder Matt Kassel suffered cramps in the game as well. Sophomore forward Jason Herrick sat out practice yesterday and didn’t play in the loss against Cal because of a foot injury from Friday against UCLA.
“I definitely think Friday night’s game took a lot out of us,” sophomore Rodney Wallace said. “Injuries did also play a role in the [Cal] game, but we also had some other guys step up.”
With both Townsend and Herrick unable to play, freshmen Matt Oduaran and Alex Lee played forward and held their own, according to Cirovski.
“There’s no question, they played significant minutes, and both played well against Cal,” Cirovski said. “Both are very capable guys. They are strong and athletic guys and are both physically tough.”
Because freshman midfielder Kaoru Forbess is not cleared to practice due to a back injury and senior midfielder Michael Marchiano is still nursing an ankle injury, freshmen such as Oduaran and Lee are going to play significant minutes at multiple positions. Lee spent the entire preseason at leftside back.
“Matt Oduaran and Alex Lee played great up top,” Wallace said. “We’re looking for those guys on the field that are able to step in and do their job.”
Despite those performances, the Terps faded down the stretch after controlling most of the game Sunday. After outshooting Cal 8-3 in the first half, the Bears steadily increased their offensive pressure in the second before scoring the game-winner with three minutes remaining.
Cirovski will determine the status of Townsend and Herrick for Friday’s home-opener either today or tomorrow. Both players are expected to be back.
But with the long-term injuries to Forbess and Marchiano, who has suffered through a long list of injuries throughout his collegiate career, the Terps’ depth will be tested.
In Friday night’s 2-1 overtime win over UCLA, the Terps were able to bring players off the bench and get the tying goal in the final minute from sophomore substitution Sean Flatley.
“Even in the UCLA game where we had to fight and scramble and get a bunch of bodies in where last year we could have petered out late because we didn’t have the numbers to put in there,” Cirovski said. “I think our depth already paid off.”
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