Sasho Cirovski
The Terrapins men’s soccer team earned a 3-3 draw last night at Stanford in its opening game of the 2013 season.
Coach Sasho Cirvoski started two freshmen — Alex Crognale and Suli Dainkeh — on his backline as well as freshman Zack Steffen in net, and the inexperience was exposed early. The Terps trailed 2-0 through 36 minutes after a Crognale own goal and a tally from Stanford’s Zach Batteer.
But, almost on cue, the 2012 MAC Hermann Trophy winner Patrick Mullins responded with a header off a Mikey Ambrose free kick just before the half ended.
After Steffen made a critical stop on a Stanford breakaway, Schillo Tshuma netted the equalizing header off a Sunny Jane cross to even the score at 2-2 in the 55th minute.
Batteer scored again to give the Cardinal a one-goal lead, but fifth-year senior Jake Pace slotted the game’s final goal off a Tsubasa Endoh corner kick with four minutes remaining in the match.
“It was the first game of the year. … Lots of mistakes, lots of energy, some opportunistic goals by both sides and some great goals,” said Cirovksi, whose team outshout Stanford 17-3 and overcame 42 Cardinal fouls, in a release. “I thought it was a game we could’ve won and we could’ve lost.”
The Terps will conclude their West Coast swing on Sunday evening at 5:30 against California.
