For more than 450 minutes, the Terrapin men’s soccer defense held strong. Playing its best soccer of the season, the unit shut down premier attackers, cut off counterattacks and stayed compact and connected as it blanked opponent after opponent.
Holding a two-goal lead against Clemson on Saturday, the No. 4 Terps seemed poised to shut out their fifth straight opponent. But their shutout streak, the longest since their 2008 national championship season, ended in surprising fashion.
The Terp defense, already up 2-0 and pushing forward for a clinching third goal, was caught out of position. The Tigers found an opening on the right side, and Clemson forward Austin Savage drilled home the first of two Tiger goals.
Even after another Clemson score, the Terps (8-2-1) still found a way to squeeze out a victory with a game-winning goal by forward Jason Herrick. The moment gave coach Sasho Cirovski an opportunity to bring the Terps back down to earth.
Tonight, the Terps will look to take Cirovski’s instruction and apply it against Colgate (7-3-3) at Ludwig Field.
“As a coach, you’re always looking for teachable moments,” Cirovski said. “We’re hoping that the defense in the second half will be a blessing for us because it will remind us how fragile a lead is and how quickly a game can turn if you get complacent.”
The team knows how important it is for the defense, which had looked among the nation’s best before Saturday’s performance, to be back on track. While the offense has played fairly consistently this season, it was the Terp defense that helped power a five-game winning streak that included two top-10 opponents.
“Everyone was well connected, we got a little disconnected in the end [against Clemson],” defender Ethan White said. “We were losing second balls and stepping too early. We were more compact in other games.”
All four defenders came to College Park with an attacking mindset, and while that mentality has helped push the Terps this season, it backfired Saturday. Only after Clemson scored the game-tying goal in the 72nd minute did the Terp defense finally wake back up and hold on for the win.
“It’s kind of a gut check,” White said. “We just made better decisions, we weren’t messing around with the ball in the back anymore, we just played it really safe.”
Even with the two-goal advantage, and an offense that leads the conference in scoring, the Terps learned they can’t relax, especially against an ACC opponent.
“No matter what the score is,” White said, “you can’t sit back and think you have the game won.”
Though Colgate hails from the Patriot League, it presents a challenge similar to that of the Tigers. The Raiders are undefeated in conference play and are led by a stout defense that has recorded six clean sheets this season.
“They’re in every game and they’re highly competitive,” Cirovski said. “They have a chance to get to the NCAA Tournament this year, and that’s why we’ve scheduled them.”
While the Raiders haven’t faced a ranked opponent all season, they have the experience of close matches, including six overtime games. The Terps, however, are hoping to keep their ACC-best win streak alive and build on a late scare against the Tigers.
“We got a little complacent, and Clemson punished us, and it became a dogfight,” Cirovski said. “This team at times has struggled with prosperity. [Colgate’s] a good side, and they’ll have our respect.”
ceckard@umdbk.com
