To the record-setting Ludwig Field crowd Sept. 4, Ivan Magalhaes was an unfamiliar face amid a sea of longtime Terrapins men’s soccer players and highly touted freshmen.

When the Terps defeated then-No. 1 UCLA, 2-1, in their home opener, they had four returning starters from 2014. And after 90 minutes of soccer ended in a draw, freshman forward Sebastian Elney incited a frenzy from the announced 8,449 when he headed in the game-winning goal in the 96th minute.

But Magalhaes was different. After his graduation from Joao XXIII School in São Paulo, Brazil, the NCAA deemed him ineligible to play at the Division I level, so he spent the past two seasons playing with Eastern Florida State Junior College.

Magalhaes finally got his chance to perform on a big stage against the Bruins. He didn’t disappoint, teaming with defender Alex Crognale to hold the Bruins to one goal.

The 6-foot-1 center back has turned into a familiar face at Ludwig Field, starting in each of the Terps’ four home games. Yet while he might be a more recognizable face, his journey to the Terps is largely unknown.

“After I finished high school, I knew the possibility of coming here and, like, get an education and play at the same time at a high level,” Magalhaes said. “So I decided to come here, and I first went to Florida. … Then I got picked by [coach] Sasho [Cirovski]; he liked me and he brought me here, and now I’m here.”

Ivan Magalhaes

Magalhaes spent his first two years of high school at Objetivo in Brazil before finishing his education at Joao XXIII in 2010. From there, he spent the next two years playing club soccer.

“We were not sure if I was going to be eligible right away [for] NCAA,” Magalhaes said. “So we figured it would be best for me to go first to a junior college.”

When Eastern Florida State coach Oliver Twelvetrees took a look at Magalhaes’s highlight video, he liked what he saw. He noticed Magalhaes’ size, strength and power.

“With my connections and our ability to showcase players,” Twelvetrees recalled thinking, “he’s going to be able to have a lot of success here over the next two years and then be able to go to a Division I school.”

Magalhaes had no trouble acclimating to Eastern Florida State, earning first-team All-America honors in 2013 and second-team All-America honors a year later.

His presence also influenced the teams’ attack. Twelvetrees said he was able to push his outside backs forward with Magalhaes manning the backline.

“He was certainly the best defender in the country for two years in a row,” Twelvetrees said. “Against any attacking player in the country, we always knew Ivan would come out on top.”

Eastern Florida State’s season finished up in November, signifying the end of Magalhaes’ two-year stint.

JOINING THE TERPS

In more than 20 years at the helm of the Terps, Cirovski said he couldn’t recall ever actively recruiting a junior college player. That changed when he learned of Magalhaes’ eligibility status.

At the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Winter Showcase from Nov. 29 through Dec. 3 in Lakewood Ranch, Florida, Cirovski ran into Twelvetrees.

“He said, ‘Oh, by the way, what are you looking for?’” Cirovski recalled. “I said, ‘Well, we could maybe use a little help at the back.’ And they said, ‘Well I’ve got the perfect guy for you.’”

Twelvetrees sent the Terps’ veteran coach tape of the two-time All-American, and Cirovski quickly began recruiting Magalhaes.

“There were a lot of schools interested in him,” Twelvetrees said. “But I think as soon as Maryland showed interest, and immediately when they heard about him, they were committed with the process of getting him up there to see the campus.”

Magalhaes’ classes at Eastern Florida State ended on Dec. 13. But instead of making the trip back to Brazil, he planned on spending a few days helping out with a Brazilian-laden team competing at the Disney Soccer Showcase.

First, he went to College Park. He also had offers from North Carolina, Akron and Clemson, but the trip to this university persuaded Magalhaes to join the Terps.

“When he saw the campus, he was really, really excited about it and wanted to go there right away,” Twelvetrees said. “With the history of the program and the area and the location and the facilities and the coaching staff, I think it was a place that he thought he could fulfill his ambition of getting into the MLS after two more years up there.”

Ivan Magalhaes

Magalhaes spent this summer in College Park to acclimate himself to the university. He took two classes and earned two As. He played pickup games with his new teammates.

And once he began his Terps career, he made an immediate impression.

“I heard he was just a really good defender — really strong — and he’s also really good with his feet,” said defender Chris Odoi-Atsem, who played center back the past two seasons before moving to right back this year. “The first time I saw him play, I was like, ‘Man, this guy is really strong and really fast and a really good defender.’”

Cirovski agreed that Magalhaes has the physical tools to excel at the Division I level, but it’ll take time for him to fully adapt to the college game.

Magalhaes said the game is more technical in Brazil and doesn’t require the constant movement that playing Division I soccer does. Not to mention, the games have also been more competitive than he’s used to.

“Matches are decided by details, where in Florida, we just had like four or five games that were, like, actually real games where the results were close,” Magalhaes said. “All the other games were like 6-0, 7-0.”

Meshing with the rest of the defense hasn’t been difficult for Magalhaes, though, which is something he attributes to his past experience.

Plus, Cirovski believes the 21-year-old has a lot of room to grow.

“Even his coach said, ‘Look, he’s going to be good for you in the beginning, but he’s going to be great for you in the end,’” Cirovski said. “And he’s exactly right. He’s been getting better every game for us.”