The battle between North Carolina and the Terps for the ACC regular-season title could be decided Thursday.

The Terrapins men’s soccer team understands the repercussions, both short- and long-term, of its 2-1 loss at Clemson on Friday.

It will likely lose its No. 1 ranking when the new top-25 poll is released today, and the team’s chances of capturing the program’s 20th ACC regular-season title took a major hit.

But the heartbreak the Terps endured on a rain-drenched night at Historic Riggs Field may have come at just the right time.

“We really haven’t been playing our brand of soccer lately,” defender Taylor Kemp said Sunday. “We need to get back to what made us so successful at the start of the year.”

Since their 12-game unbeaten streak was broken in a 2-1 loss at Virginia on Oct. 7, the Terps have struggled to dominate games in their usual manner.

Outside of a rousing 4-2 win over Duke more than two weeks ago, their play has largely suffered as their offensive production has dipped.

The Terps notched just three shot attempts in the first half against unheralded Adelphi, were outshot at No. 4 North Carolina, 23-10, and managed just one goal against Clemson, which has allowed more than any other ACC school this season.

“I think maybe we got ahead of ourselves,” Cirovski said, “and started thinking about placement and all of those other things going into the Clemson game.”

So even with the start of the ACC Tournament just six days away, the Terps are training this week with their minds focused on one simple objective: winning against Wake Forest on the team’s senior night Thursday.

“We’re approaching things a little bit differently,” goalkeeper Will Swaim said. “We’re really going to make sure we don’t get ahead of ourselves.”

TOURNAMENT PICTURE

Even if the postseason isn’t their concern right now, a win over the Demon Deacons could have major implications for the Terps’ seeding in the upcoming ACC Tournament.

The Terps are second in the league standings, just one point behind North Carolina with one game remaining for both teams.

And given the opponents in both of those matchups, the team still has a decent shot at capturing its third ACC Tournament No. 1 seed under Cirovski. The Tar Heels play at No. 13 Boston College tomorrow, while the Terps host an unranked Wake Forest squad on Thursday.

Still considered a top-tier and talent-laden squad, the Demon Deacons won’t surrender those crucial points easily. That was evident during their 2-2 draw at No. 7 Akron on Saturday.

So as he prepares his five seniors to celebrate their final ACC regular-season game, Cirovski maintained yesterday that the Terps aren’t too concerned with checking box scores this week. After all, they can control only the product they put out at Ludwig Field.

“There are too many factors that can develop,” Cirovski said. “But we know that if we do well, we’ll be in a good place.”

LEE’S STATUS

One of the Terps’ senior captains may not get the chance to play in his final ACC regular-season game Thursday.

Defender Alex Lee suffered a leg injury early in the second half of a 1-1 tie at North Carolina on Oct. 21 and was sidelined for the Terps’ loss at Clemson on Friday. With London Woodberry ineligible after receiving a red card against the Tar Heels, the Terps were without both of their starting center backs against the Tigers.

Freshman defender Kyle Roach took one of the slots, and sophomore midfielder Helge Leikvang slid into the other.

“I thought they both did really well,” Kemp said. “And I definitely don’t think the loss was their fault at all, but any time you’re without guys like London and Alex, you’re going to miss them.”

Although Woodberry is slated to return against Wake Forest, Lee’s status is still questionable.

“I want him to be as close to 100 percent as possible,” Cirovski said. “So he’s a day-by-day kind of situation. We don’t even know where he’ll be for Thursday.”

letourneau@umdbk.com