Midfielder Mael Corboz splits two Rutgers players during the Terps’ 3-2 win at Rutgers on Nov. 5, 2014.

On Sept. 19, the Terrapins men’s soccer team fell, 1-0, to Michigan State in front of more than 6,000 people in its home opener. A defender blocked defender Mikey Ambrose’s last-ditch header attempt with less than a minute remaining, and coach Sasho Cirovski could hardly hide his disappointment after the game.

The next few weeks were marred by inconsistency and frustration. The Terps dropped a heartbreaking 1-0 game to Georgetown on Sept. 30 before falling again, 3-2, five days later at Northwestern. Cirovski earned a suspension for angrily charging the officials after that loss.

Something changed at that point, though. The Terps beat then-No. 3 Penn State, 4-0, on Oct. 12, and then kept winning. They didn’t drop a game in October, and, gradually, played themselves back into postseason contention.

Wednesday night marked the triumphant conclusion of the No. 17 Terps’ turnaround, as they defeated Rutgers, 3-2, to extend their winning streak to eight games and clinch the Big Ten regular-season championship.

“It’s an incredible feeling. To think where were a month ago, and where are now. It’s an especially proud feeling,” Cirovski said. “That’s hard to describe.”

The victory over the Scarlet Knights (5-11-1, 1-6-1 Big Ten) mirrored the Terps’ performance throughout the streak. They scored first and never relented the lead. The Terps (11-5-2, 5-2-1) outshot Rutgers, 17-7. And they received goals from three different players.

Midfielder Mael Corboz, who transferred from Rutgers after his sophomore year, scored the opening goal in the fifth minute, finishing on a ball from midfielder Alex Shinsky for his team-high eighth goal of the year.

“Mael was very classy when he scored goal, very muted, did not want to celebrate,” Cirovski said. “Showed class and humility that defines him as a person.”

The lead was short-lived, however, as Rutgers struck back in the 23rd minute to tie the game at1 when midfielder Rayon Gibbs converted past goalkeeper Zack Steffen. It marked just the fifth goal Steffen has allowed during the winning streak.

The teams traded shots over the ensuing minutes. For the first time in weeks, the Terps failed to dominate the possession battle.

In the 33rd minute, Cirovski opted to insert forward George Campbell and David Kabelik into the game for midfielders Michael Sauers and Tsubasa Endoh. Campbell and Kabelik began the season in the starting lineup but were eventually replaced due to inconsistency.

On the night the Terps clinched the conference championship in their inaugural Big Ten season, though, Cirovski’s decision to play Kabelik and Campbell paid dividends.

Campbell contributed first. About four minutes after checking into the game, he blasted a shot past Rutgers goalkeeper David Greczek to give the Terps a 2-1 lead going into the half. It was his third goal of the year.

Rutgers scored in the 89th minute, but it proved futile considering Kabelik had scored about 17 minutes earlier to give the Terps a then-two-goal cushion.

“It’s a big deal to win this championship, but we just know it was the closer to the regular season,” Cirovski said. “We’re Looking forward to conference championship. Hope we can make Ludwig packed again.”

Through six games of its 2014 campaign, the Terps had just one win. Now, with the postseason looming, Cirovski’s team will enter the Big Ten tournament as the top seed.

“The guys came with their championship fiber coming through,” Cirovski said. “I feel like a proud papa today.”