Former Terp forward Jason Herrick returned to Ludwig Field last night — as an opponent.

Wearing a navy blue No. 9 Harrisburg City Islanders kit, Jason Herrick trotted onto Ludwig Field for a game last night for the first time in 143 days.

The former Terrapin men’s soccer forward’s memory of his last game on the field wasn’t a fond one. The Terps fell to Michigan in a dramatic 3-2 overtime loss in the Elite Eight on Dec. 4, ending his dreams of returning to the College Cup.

The fifth-year senior had done everything in his power to keep the Terps alive. In the 79th minute, Herrick powered a 19-yard shot into the net to tie the game. But a stunning overtime goal by Wolverine midfielder Fabio Pereira ended all the dreams Herrick and the Terps had for a national title.

Yesterday, though, the circumstances were far different. For Herrick, there was no College Cup berth on the line, no double-digit winning streak to uphold, no camaraderie among teammates wearing Terp red.

Instead, there was the oddity of lining up opposite those same friends in a meaningless exhibition before a barren crowd.

“It was weird,” Herrick said after the Terps’ 1-0 win. “Obviously, being in the other locker room, on the other bench — it was a different atmosphere.”

“It was great to see Jason,” Terp coach Sasho Cirovski said. “He’s so focused that when he came out he didn’t say anything to us. But then he came over at halftime.”

His road back to College Park wasn’t pretty. Herrick, a first-team All-ACC selection who started all but one of his 86 games with the Terps, left the university in December to pursue his professional aspirations.

At the 2011 MLS Draft on Jan. 13, the Elmhurst, Ill., native realized those dreams. The Chicago Fire, based just 20 miles from where he grew up, selected Herrick in the third round with the No. 45 overall pick.

For nearly two months, Herrick trained with the Fire in pursuit of a roster spot. In a reserve-team game Feb. 23, Herrick contributed an assist in an eventual 4-2 win. But less than a week later, Herrick found himself without a team. After the Fire had decided to release him, Herrick was left to scrap for other opportunities to continue to playing career.

He received a week-long trial from the Montreal Impact, a Canadian team that plays in the North American Soccer League, but he was cut there, too.

“It’s been a lot of traveling,” Herrick said. “You can’t really look too much into things. You just have to focus on yourself. To some people, you might be doing good, but to others, they say you’re not what they want.”

After a week off, Herrick turned his attention to the United Soccer Leagues, a 15-team, three-division league. At the beginning of April, Herrick inked a contract with the Harrisburg City (Pa.) Islanders, who also feature former Terp midfielder Drew Yates, and he has trained with them since his signing.

“I don’t know too much about the league,” Herrick said. “We’re trying to get better every day. Personally, I’m just trying to work on my game, finishing, setting guys up.”

While Herrick doesn’t know what his future holds in professional soccer, he’s confident the right opportunities will present themselves.

For now, he’s just enjoying the chance to keep playing — even if it’s not where he thought he would be just months removed from his final collegiate game.

“You just have to believe in yourself and have confidence,” Herrick said. “If something doesn’t work out, you just have to keep pushing because something else is bound to come up.”

ceckard@umdbk.com