Midfielder Mael Corboz steals the ball during the Terps’ 1-0 win over Virginia in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Ludwig Field on Nov. 22, 2015.
The Terrapins men’s soccer team held a one-goal advantage at halftime over Virginia on Sunday night, but the gap between the two squads over the first 45 minutes seemed even larger.
Even before forward Eryk Williamson’s goal in the 38th minute of the second-round contest, the Terps spent significant time in their opponent’s box. The Cavaliers managed a few shots, too, but goalkeeper Cody Niedermeier had to make just one save in the opening period.
READ MORE: Williamson leads Terps past Virginia in NCAA tournament
Yet after holding a 9-3 shot advantage at the break, the Terps pushed to extend their lead until the final whistle. They attacked aggressively while continuing to play stout defense, and coach Sasho Cirovski was impressed.
“We pride ourselves on pushing and attacking all the time,” Cirovski said. “That’s the basis of who we are as a program.”
Before Niedermeier made his second stop of the evening in the 57th minute, the Terps had already challenged goalkeeper Jeff Caldwell twice in the second half. Midfielder Mael Corboz and Williamson both forced Caldwell to make a diving save, and defender Alex Crognale also attempted a shot during that stretch.
“In the second half,” Corboz said, “we showed that we can be extremely dangerous on the counter as well as building up and playing.”
And in the 63rd minute, the Terps’ pressure in the attacking third appeared to result in a second score.
Midfielder Tsubasa Endoh curled a corner kick into the box and found defender Ivan Magalhaes, whose header hit the grass before deflecting up toward the right side of the net. Caldwell jumped on the shot, but the ball appeared to cross the goal line as he fell to the ground.
Several Terps threw up their hands up in excitement, but the referee didn’t award the Terps with a score. Instead, he looked on as Caldwell launched a goal kick moments later with the game still in reach for the Cavaliers.
The Terps, though visibly frustrated, still fought to convert an insurance goal. They weren’t able to find the back of the net, but still team managed to outshoot the Cavaliers 9-4 after Magalhaes’ attempt.
“We fought hard defensively — we brought numbers back when necessary — but we wanted to win the second half,” Cirovski said. “And we felt we had another goal coming. I think we deserved another goal or two with our good play, but just a little bit off at times.”
Cirovski mentioned that three of the Terps’ five attacking players are freshmen — Williamson, forward Sebastian Elney and midfielder Amar Sejdic — so the veteran coach said it took some time for them to mesh with Corboz and Endoh, both seniors, in the attacking third.
The freshmen group has improved its timing and spacing down the stretch, though, and it’s showed in the team’s results. The five-player unit has scored 10 of the Terps’ 12 goals over their five-game winning streak.
Williamson has led the team during its late-season tear, as the U-20 men’s national team member’s goal against Virginia marked his fifth in as many games. The Terps’ other 22 shots failed to find the net Sunday night, but Corboz was pleased with his team’s ability to stay aggressive after snatching the early lead.
“It wasn’t necessarily frustrating,” Corboz said. “When you’re going forward like that and everybody’s moving around, it’s just a lot of fun. I mean obviously we wish we could have scored two or three more, but at the end of the day, we got the win. And to me, that’s all that matters at this point in the season.”
