Midfielder Sunny Jane attempts a bicycle kick during the Terps’ 3-0 win against St. John’s on Friday.

All of the pieces were in place for the Terrapins men’s soccer program to capture its fourth national championship last season.

It boasted a seemingly tailor-made squad, one replete with a deep bench, a seasoned backline, a dominant goalkeeper and a potent forward tandem. It had a 15-game winning streak, a program record for shutouts and an offense that led the nation in scoring.

But for a program that expects nothing less than national titles, none of that ultimately mattered.

When the No. 2-seed Terps suffered a stunning 3-2 double-overtime loss to an upstart Michigan squad in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals last November, their dreams of hoisting another golden trophy evaporated.

“This was probably the most gut-wrenching and heartbreaking loss at Ludwig [Field] in my career,” coach Sasho Cirovski said in the wake of what was just his squad’s third defeat all season. “At no point did I feel like we were going to lose this game.”

The sting from that loss will serve as motivation for the No. 4 Terps’ 16 returning letterwinners as they pursue what has become an expectation: winning an ACC Championship and competing for the program’s fourth national championship.

“I think we found last year that too much complacency might’ve set in at times when we needed to be at our sharpest points,” said sophomore forward Patrick Mullins, who earned ACC Freshman of the Year honors last season. “I think a lot of guys on the team last year learned from that.”

Establishing that sense of urgency will be key for a squad that lost five players to the pros this offseason, including defender Ethan White and forward Jason Herrick.

Chief among the positions in need of replenishment, though, is goalkeeper. With former All-American Zac MacMath off to MLS, redshirt senior Will Swaim, who opted to return to the squad and enroll in graduate school this year, is set to take over in goal. Swaim started 20 games over his first three seasons before redshirting his senior season to maintain eligibility after MacMath’s expected exit.

“The journey the past four years has definitely been a roller coaster. It’s been up, and it’s been down,” Swaim said. “All the trials have definitely prepared me for what we plan to do this season and I’m ready as ever.”

Although Cirovski has named Swaim the starter for the foreseeable future, two highly touted freshmen — Keith Cardona and Jordan Tatum — have also taken reps in practice and should be ready to play if he struggles.

The two are part of a talented, seven-member recruiting class headlined by midfielder Alex Shinsky, a member of the Under-17 U.S. Men’s National Team and www.topdrawersoccer.com’s top-rated recruit for 2011.

Cirovski plans to ease his prized freshman into the starting lineup, bringing him off the bench until he fully recovers from a knee injury.

It’s in the midfield where the Terps (2-0) saw the most turnover from last year, with no regular starters returning this season. Cirovski plans to utilize the Terps’ depth by rotating seven or eight players, including veterans Kaoru Forbess and John Stertzer, at the four midfield positions.

At either end of the field are senior co-captains Alex Lee and Casey Townsend, mainstays at the team’s camp this summer and veterans who have made a point to lead the underclassmen by example.

Lee, who has started at defender since switching from forward after his freshman year, will anchor a backline that helped secure the highest shutout percentage (65 percent) in the NCAA last season. He’ll join returning starter Taylor Kemp and London Woodberry, who also played significant minutes last season.

White’s decision to turn pro left the fourth slot open, and Cirovski said he is still auditioning two freshmen — Marquez Fernandez and Parker Seymour — and veteran Widner Saint Cyr for the final spot.

“We have a lot of experience [on the backline], and everyone knows what their role is,” Lee said. “We just have to help whoever wins that fourth spot and make it an easy transition for him. Communication is going to be key.”

With Townsend opting to delay his professional career to pursue a second national championship, the team’s frontline also finds itself in quite good shape.

Townsend tallied nine goals and five assists last season, and Cirovski said he expects those numbers to improve with a little luck this year.

“Casey could’ve easily doubled his goal total last season,” Cirovski said. “You know, he was just so close on so many shots. At times, he looked snakebit. He did almost everything right and the ball would hit the goal post.”

Mullins will assist Townsend up front after transitioning from the midfield this offseason, while veterans Matt Oduaran and Jordan Cyrus could see significant minutes on the frontline, as well. Cyrus redshirted last season with medical issues but is now healthy and seemingly ready to contribute.

While they may not possess the star power of last season’s squad, the Terps nonetheless feel they are capable of achieving what they ultimately could not last year.

“We’re not afraid of the challenge we set for ourselves,” Cirovski said.

letourneau@umdbk.com