Forward Casey Townsend and the No. 1 Terps beat Virginia Tech, 2-0, on Saturday.
Like many people his age, Will Swaim has struggled to find work this year.
With the Terrapins men’s soccer team dominating possession for long stretches of games, its 22-year-old goalkeeper has often had to stand patiently and wait for a chance to prove his worth.
That opportunity should finally arrive when the No. 1 Terps face No. 14 Charlotte at Ludwig Field tonight.
“I don’t know if people realize it, but Charlotte’s a very good team,” said Swaim, who’s notched two shutouts without needing to record a save in a game this season. “They’re going to be a big test for us.”
To the average college soccer fan, it may seem hard to believe that an Atlantic 10 school could pose a threat to the nation’s top-ranked team. The Terps (8-0-1) have dominated top-25 competition this year, while Charlotte (7-1-0) rarely gets the opportunity to play any.
But Swaim has done his homework, and he expects a full workload tonight. The 49ers top the Atlantic 10 in virtually every offensive category. They’ve more than tripled their opponents’ scoring total. And with no ranked teams remaining on their schedule, they’ll have the rare incentive to seize on an upset opportunity tonight.
“We know they’ll be gunning for us,” Swaim said. “They’re going to cause a lot of work for our entire defense.”
Considering Charlotte’s recent body of work, the redshirt senior’s prediction seems warranted. The 49ers are riding a five-game winning streak that includes two of the Terps’ ACC foes. On Sept. 16, Charlotte took a 2-1 overtime win at then-No. 12 Virginia. Just four days later, it won 3-1 at Clemson.
“Normally, I’d think the fact that we play in the ACC would give us a bit of an advantage over a school like Charlotte,” forward Casey Townsend said. “But they’ve played and beaten two quality ACC teams, so we know they’re ready.”
And as the Terps prepare for a demanding week, they’ll need to be ready as well. On Friday, they face No. 3 Creighton, the only Division I team not to have allowed a goal this season.
Coach Sasho Cirovski said he purposely stacked the two highly touted nonconference opponents in the latter half of the season to prepare his team for the ACC’s stretch run.
But even with a daunting slate ahead of him, Cirovski was quick to stress the importance of staying in the moment against the 49ers tonight.
“Our entire focus is on Charlotte right now,” he said. “Creighton hasn’t even entered our minds yet.”
Staying focused will be especially key for at least one of Cirovski’s players tonight. After watching his team dominate possession for the majority of the season, Swaim is getting ready to head back to work.
“I definitely have to step back and regroup,” Swaim said. “It’s going to be important that I stay in tuned with what’s going on out there.”
letourneau@umdbk.com
