Midfielder John Stertzer, second from left, reacts after losing the ball during the Terps’ 4-2 loss to Louisville last night.
It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
A Terrapins men’s soccer season that began with the best start in 43 years expired suddenly last night after a 4-2 loss to No. 12 seed Louisville in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, the squad’s lofty dreams undone by a makeshift backline and a potent Cardinals attack.
The defeat at Ludwig Field marked the earliest postseason exit since 2007 for the fifth-seeded Terps, who won just one of their final six games after an 11-0-1 start.
“I feel terrible for our guys because I think they’ve played some great soccer this year,” coach Sasho Cirovski said after the game. “You know, they played some of the best soccer I’ve seen in years here. But unfortunately, we just couldn’t put together a defensive performance worthy of advancing.”
Cirovski’s troubles against last year’s national runner-up started long before opening kickoff. Defender Alex Lee aggravated a nagging thigh injury in the opening minutes of the Terps’ (14-4-3) second-round win over West Virginia last Sunday, sidelining the senior captain for the Sweet 16 battle. Backup center back Kyle Roach was also unavailable after pulling a quadricep during warm-ups.
That forced Cirovski to slide midfielder Helge Leikvang to the backline, where he lined up in front of goalkeeper Keith Cardona. Cirovski again started the true freshman over senior Will Swaim, who hadn’t recorded a shutout since late September and was benched before last Sunday’s match.
“We had to reshuffle some players and had a makeshift backline,” Cirovski said. “And against two of the best forwards in the country and a team that’s as experienced and efficient as Louisville, it was almost too much to ask for.”
The Terps’ inexperience on defense began to show in the 19th minute, when Cardinals forward Colin Rolfe played a through ball between two defenders for midfielder Nick DeLeon, who beat the onrushing Cardona for the early lead.
“Going over it in game film, we noticed they played a pretty high line,” said Rolfe, who led Louisville with three assists and a goal. “There was a bunch of room behind, and our guys in the back did a great job recognizing it and playing some good balls.”
Just six minutes after DeLeon’s tally, the Terps’ backline took another hit when defender Marquez Fernandez left with a leg injury. With two of their five regular starters remaining, the Terps’ defense managed to stymie Louisville for the remainder of the first half.
Forward Casey Townsend headed in a cross from midfielder Patrick Mullins in the 34th minute to even the score at 1-1 heading into halftime. The goal was Townsend’s 17th on the year, and moved the senior into a third-place tie on the Terps’ career goals list with 43.
Cardona opened the second period in style, delivering a diving save to maintain the tie. Costly errors, however, would soon define the freshman’s fourth career start.
As Rolfe corralled Kenney Walker’s long ball in the 52nd minute, Cardona stayed rooted to the end line. The forward’s ensuing 20-yard bid seemed well within Cardona’s grasp, but he struggled to set his feet as Rolfe’s ninth goal of the season trickled in off his gloves, leaving the Terps with a 2-1 deficit.
“Keith made a couple saves in the game that really kept us in the game,” Cirovski said. “Unfortunately, we just gave him too many opportunities. He wasn’t the reason we lost tonight. He’s a young man with a bright future.”
Forward Matt Oduaran’s close-range strike secured the game’s second tie in the 68th minute, but it would be for naught. The Terps’ backline appeared off-kilter and overmatched in the game’s final moments, and the senior-laden Cardinals capitalized.
Rolfe notched two assists within a five-minute span to help capture Louisville’s second straight appearance in the quarterfinals. Defender Daniel Keller converted a Rolfe cross in the 79th minute, and midfielder Michael Roman scored in the 84th to give the Cardinals an insurmountable 4-2 advantage.
“I thought we were going to score again,” Townsend said. “We had them on their heels. They got that third goal, which was a little bit unfortunate for us. We had to force it, and they got another one on the counterattack. So … yeah.”
Louisville will play UCLA on Saturday for a chance to travel to Hoover, Ala., for the College Cup. The Terps, meanwhile, must stay and reflect upon their fourth elimination at home in six years.
A team that once seemed poised to capture each of its preseason goals — ACC regular season title, ACC tournament title, NCAA championship — will instead enter the offseason empty-handed.
“Our time will come,” Cirovski said.
letourneau@umdbk.com
