Forward Patrick Mullins celebrates after scoring the Terps’ third goal of the second half the team’s 3-1 victory over Duke on Sept. 6, 2013.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The first 27 minutes of Friday night’s matchip between the Terrapins men’s soccer team and Virginia at Klockner Stadium was as exciting as soccer gets.
An early scoring barrage from both sides featuring six goals left the crowd of 1,708 shocked, bewildered and begging for more.
And while the No. 5 Terps and No. 23 Cavaliers provided sufficient excitement for the duration of the game — including two overtime periods — both teams failed to find the back of the net over the final 83 minutes, battling to a 3-3 draw.
“It was a crazy game” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “Both teams came out and attacked. Made things happen.”
Midfielder Tsubasa Endoh opened scoring just more than a minute into play, heading one off the crossbar and in after a feed by forward Patrick Mullins.
Despite the early lead, though, the 21st-year was uneasy.
“I turned around to my assistants and said, ‘I’ve got a feeling there’s going to be more goals,’” Cirovski said.
The Terps defense failed to hold, as the Cavaliers responded with two goals over the next three minutes. Midfielder Todd Wharton finished from the top of the 18-yard box in the 3rd minute after a botched clearance from the Terps backline. Just more than two minutes later, midfielder Marcus Salandy-Defour slotted the go-ahead goal off a Jordan Allen assist to give Virginia a 2-1 lead.
The Terps responded, though. In the 18th minute, midfielder Michael Sauers was taken down the box, and Mullins calmly finished the penalty kick in the left corner, fooling goalkeeper Jeff Gal, who made three saves in the match.
The Terps struck again a minute and a half later. This time, Mullins earned his own penalty kick. The forward was tripped up along the goal-line and finished in the left corner again past a diving Gal for his eighth goal of the season — fifth off a penalty kick — to retake the lead.
The first-half scoring didn’t end there, though. Defender Patrick Foss took a Cavaliers set piece from 25 yards and found fellow defender Matt Brown, who flicked a header into the side netting to equalize. Goalkeeper Zack Steffen — who made four saves in the match — never saw it.
“It’s something you expect in these games,” Mullins said. “It’s rivalry games. It’s stuff that goes back and forth. It’s momentum shifts on an instant. We just tried to maintain as long as we could.”
Cirovski was forced to bring seven players in off the bench during the first half, including Sunny Jane, who didn’t start for the first time this season, as well as defenders Suli Dainkeh and Chris Odoi-Atsem. Midfielder Widner Saint Cyr saw his first action of 2013, replacing Mullins for the final four minutes of the half.
“I was concerned coming into the game with the tired legs, the heavy legs,” said Cirovski, whose team played 110 minutes Tuesday in a 1-1 draw at Notre Dame. “Unfortunately my instincts were true.”
Both teams created chances during the second half, but couldn’t secure open looks. The backlines held strong, making crucial tackles while not allowing balls in behind.
With 3:23 remaining in regulation, Jane shook off his defender and had a wide-open shot just outside the six-yard box. He attempted a slow rolling shot to the far post, but Gal extended and grasped the ball with his fingertips to prevent the go-ahead goal.
The teams entered overtime in a 3-3 deadlock. It was the sixth time this season the Terps were forced to play extra time.
After an uneventful first overtime period, the Cavaliers almost scored the game-winner with eight minutes remaining. Midfielder Dan Metzger misplayed a ball on the goal line, leaving Nicko Corriveau one-on-one with Steffen. But, as the Terps have relied on him this season, the freshman charged and saved Corriveau’s shot.
Neither team created a quality chance over the final five minutes, as the Terps tied for the fifth time this season.
“Great entertaining first half for the fans,” Cirovski said. “A little nuts for the coaches.”
