If the Terrapin men’s soccer team was feeling sluggish last night from its nine-day layoff – the longest of this season – it didn’t show it.

The second-seeded Terps rolled through visiting George Mason in their 2-0 NCAA tournament second-round win, setting up a third-round date Saturday afternoon with the winner of UC-Santa Barbara and California, who finished their game late last night.

It was the Terps’ 12th consecutive win, and they played like a team at the top of their game. They dominated possession and created multiple quality offensive chances despite what coach Sasho Cirovski feared could be a momentum-killing break from play, because of a first round NCAA tournament bye.

“I’m very pleased with the way we played,” Cirovski said. “There was a little concern coming into a game like this after being out for nine days. It took us about 10 or 15 minutes to get our rhythm a little bit, but then we took control of the game and were dangerous throughout.”

The Terps outshot George Mason 19-4 and didn’t allow the Patriots a shot on goal for the first hour of the match.

Forward Casey Townsend scored the Terps’ first goal from just inside the penalty box in the 21st minute on a through ball from forward Jason Herrick.

Townsend hadn’t scored since Oct. 17, when he netted two goals against Evansville. The freshman was one player Cirovski said could use the time off to recover physically after the Terps won the ACC tournament Nov. 16.

“The ACC tournament, the three games in five days, took a toll on the body,” Townsend said. “The week off really helped. I felt like everyone had their legs back a little more, so it helped the whole team, not just me.”

Midfielder Graham Zusi scored on his first career header from point-blank range in the 42nd minute, thanks to a well-placed cross from midfielder Jeremy Hall.

It put the Terps up 2-0 right before halftime, and even though there was plenty of time for a George Mason comeback, Zusi’s score gave the Terps full control of the game and flattened the Patriots emotionally.

“The last five minutes of the half are what I like to call mental moments,” Cirovski said. “I think you could see that when we walked off the field there was a bounce in our step and it took some wind out of George Mason’s sails.”

Cirovski, who said he would still like to see his team be more precise on quality chances in Saturday’s third round game, enjoyed the fact that Zusi scored by making a run from the midfield toward the net, something the 16th-year coach has been pushing his senior to do all season.

“It was a great run,” Cirovski said. “It was his first goal with his head in his career so we had a good laugh about that.”

It was the Terps and goaltender Zac MacMath’s fourth consecutive shutout. Defenders A.J. Delagarza and Rodney Wallace kept Patriots’ leading scorer Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe under wraps. Adjeman-Pamboe limped off with an apparent leg injury with just under five minutes remaining in the first half. He reentered the game shortly after the second half started, but failed to generate much pressure.

MacMath only had to make two saves throughout the night, both in the second half with the Terps staked to a comfortable lead.

Despite the absence of starting defensive midfielder Matt Kassel for the third straight game, the Terps dominated the Colonial Athletic Association champions throughout the first half, which proved to be enough.

The Terps slowly built attacking pressure on Patriot goalkeeper Sean Kelley at the onset of the game when Townsend, Zusi and Herrick all blasted shots over the net in the first 20 minutes.

After Herrick and Townsend’s hook-up provided the first goal, the Terps cruised to the end. Now the Terps will have to keep their streak going, but do so on much shorter rest than they did last night.

“We’re glad to be playing on Saturday,” Cirovski said. “Things are going well right now.”

akrautdbk@gmail.com