When Maryland men’s soccer coach Sasho Cirovski began his head-coaching career at Hartford in 1991, he made a difference immediately.
Cirovski led the Hawks to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in school history. Cirovski took the head coaching job at Maryland in 1993, where he’s led the Terps to eight College Cups in 23 years.
In Maryland’s home opener at Ludwig Field on Monday night, Cirovski’s former and current teams clashed. The result wasn’t in the Hawks’ favor, as the No. 4 Terps earned a 5-0 win behind two goals from forward Gordon Wild.
“It was a complete effort,” Cirovski said. “We came out on fire. We really brought the energy and put the game away. Getting five goals this early in the year against a good team, getting the shutout, I couldn’t ask for more.”
Maryland (1-0-1) entered the contest coming off a 1-1 draw with No. 16 UCLA in its season-opener Friday. While the Terps went neck-and-neck with one of the best teams in the country over the weekend, they put together their first dominating performance of the season Monday.
Maryland controlled the tempo from the opening kickoff and took the lead eight minutes in. Wild, who transferred from South Carolina University Upstate this past offseason, found the bottom right corner of the net off a pass from defender Diego Silva.
Four minutes later, defender Chris Odoi-Atsem crossed the ball to midfielder Eryk Williamson in the box. Williamson then headed the ball across from him to forward Sebastian Elney, who finished the score with a header of his own.
“It was a very cool goal,” forward George Campbell said. “They do it all the time at practice.”
The Terps slowed the tempo the rest of the half. But in the second, with some starters resting, Maryland put the pressure on the Hawks (0-2) again.
In the 53rd minute, Williamson sent a cross into the box. In the midst of about five players, Wild tapped the ball into goal, his second of the night. Cirovski wanted the third goal so he could give some of his defensive starters rest in preparation for Maryland’s match against No. 10 Georgetown on Friday. But a different group on the field didn’t stop the Terps from adding onto their lead.
Campbell got tripped in the box and netted a penalty kick to extend the Terps’ lead to 4-0 in the 69th minute. Hartford replaced starting goalkeeper David MacKinnon in the 71st minute. But in the 84th minute, midfielder Jorge Calix scored off a cross from forward DJ Reeves.
After Maryland allowed a goal two minutes into its game against UCLA, Cirovski was happy with the aggression the Terps started with Monday.
“We were ready to get after it,” Campbell said. “You can’t ask for anything better than that. We try to own this field the best that we can. The score showed we owned this.”
Twenty-five years ago, Hartford enjoyed Cirovski’s offensive style. In the teams’ second ever meeting Monday, the Hawks couldn’t stop the attack in a blowout defeat.
“We always try to play ‘The Maryland Way,’ Wild said. “We try to dictate the game and we try to set the pace of the game. Today we did a really good job of that.”
