The previous two times the Maryland men’s soccer team won the National Championship, it played at UCLA in one of the first two games of its season. So when speaking with media members Tuesday, coach Sasho Cirovski noted the irony of the Terps’ season-opener at No. 16 UCLA on Friday night.
Maryland, the No. 4 team in the country, is one of the top national championship contenders again this season with eight returning starters. Beginning at the same place as 2005 and 2008 – the Terps’ previous two championships – Cirovski is hopeful this year’s team finishes the same way his past teams did when it played at UCLA.
The Terps began their journey toward college soccer’s biggest stage with a 1-1 draw against the Bruins at StubHub Center in Carson, California. Defender Alex Crognale scored the Terps’ lone goal in the fifth minute, and neither team scored afterward.
“Either team could’ve come out with a great victory or a very difficult loss,” Cirovski said. “We weathered the storm there and competed hard to earn a well-fought draw.”
The game marked a rematch of last year’s fanatic finish in which forward Sebastian Elney headed in the game-winning goal in overtime to defeat the then-No. 1 team in the nation.
The scoring came earlier in the teams’ contest this year, though, as UCLA broke through to score in the second minute. Midfielder Brian Iloski found forward Jason Romero open in the middle of the box as he tapped it past goalkeeper Cody Niedermeier.
“It was really played well by them,” Cirovski said. “Their midfielder played a perfect ball. Our backline was actually in pretty good position. Our defensive rotation was slow, and that’s an area we’ll get better.”
But the Terps defense, which allowed the second fewest goals per match in the Big Ten last season (.85), regrouped, and Maryland netted the equalizer about three minutes later. Goalkeeper Juan Cervantes rushed out of goal to meet midfielder Jake Rozhansky’s cross into the box, but it bounced off of the net minder. With the ball in the air, Crognale headed it into the goal.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the response,” Cirovski said. “That’s a sign of mental strength.”
Both teams picked up their defensive pressure the rest of the way, as the squads combined for just eight shots in the first half.
Both teams saw more opportunities as the pace sped up in the second,, but a combined seven saves from Niedermeier and Cervantes in the frame kept the ball from hitting the back of the net. The Terps, who struggled to score consistently last season, had six total shots on goal.
The offenses went stagnant in overtime, as the best look for either team came from Bruins forward Abdullah Adam, whose shot sailed over the goalpost.
Cirovski said the Terps still need to make improvements, especially with their defensive pressure. Most of the midfielders starting Friday were playing in new positions, and Cirovski said they’ll get more comfortable as they play more games.
Most notably, Rozhansky, who transferred from Virginia in the spring, was playing his first match with Maryland. Eryk Williamson, meanwhile, moved to attacking midfield after playing much of last season up top.
Regardless of the result, Cirovski knows this challenge will prepare his team for the future.
“It’s going to make us a better team,” Cirovski said. “They challenged us with their good ball movement and possession. Once we review it, we’re going to clean up some of our defensive rotation and pressuring. It’s going to make us a much better team. We showed some resolve and some skill. Going forward, that’s going to help us a lot.”
