When Maryland men’s soccer forwards DJ Reeves and George Campbell entered the game against San Diego late in the first half, coach Sasho Cirovski said it changed the match.

The Terps got out to a slow start, attempting just one shot through 41 minutes. But in the 42nd minute, Campbell assisted Reeves’ goal to put the Terps up, 1-0.

Reeves and Campbell have served as an energy boost for the Terps this season as backup forwards on an offense that ranks third in the country in goals and points per game. They made one of their biggest contributions of the season in Maryland’s 2-0 win Monday when the Terps’ offense came out flat.

“They both came in with some great energy on the attacking side of the ball,” Cirovski said. “We can wear teams down with our defensive pressure and with our attacking talent. It’s tough to handle four guys like we’ve got right now.”

Last season, forwards Sebastian Elney and Eryk Williamson starred for the Terps up top. It took time, however, for Maryland’s offense to gel without consistent replacements. Cirovski used former forward David Kabelik, Reeves and Campbell as substitutes, but none saw significant minutes every game.

This year, Cirovski said he has four forwards who are talented enough to start because Reeves and Campbell gained a year of experience. Forward Gordon Wild, who leads the Big Ten with nine goals, and Elney have started every match, but toward the end of the first half and the middle of the second, Cirovski replaces Elney with Reeves and Wild with Campbell.

Reeves and Campbell have made contributions in that role. Reeves leads the Big Ten with five assists and Campbell has recorded five points. Their energy was beneficial against San Diego’s high-pressure defense while Elney and Wild struggled to create opportunities.

In the 42nd minute after Reeves and Campbell entered, Reeves lost the ball as he dribbled into the box. The ball rolled to Campbell, and he tapped the ball back to Reeves, who struck the ball between two defenders into the bottom right corner of the net for his first career goal.

“We just always have to be ready,” Reeves said. “At practice, it’s not just the starting group. [Cirovski] always stresses the guys who come into the game. It’s definitely very hard to go from guarding [Elney] to guarding me or guarding Gordon and guarding George.”

Opposing teams see more of Elney and Wild on film, so foes can be caught off-guard by their replacements, Campbell said. Plus, Reeves said each forward has a different style, making it hard for squads to adjust to substitutions. For example, Reeves described Elney as “strong” with the ball, while he called himself quicker and more dynamic.

Campbell said the four forwards compete against each other in practice for playing time, which brings out the best in one another.

Down the stretch, Cirovski will have multiple strikers to turn to as his team competes for a national championship.

“A lot of guys have faith in DJ and myself to bring that energy, and they rally when we come in,” Campbell said. “They’re like, ‘All right, these guys are coming in, so now we’re going to pick it up. We’re going to get flying at the other team.’ They need to watch all of our forwards in the same light. On any given day anyone can play well.”

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