As the Terrapins men’s soccer team attempts to return to the College Cup for the second straight season, it will have to do so without two key contributors from the 2012 squad that fell in penalty kicks to Georgetown.
Forward Christiano Francois will be academically ineligible for the 2013 season, and forward Jordan Cyrus has exhausted his eligibility, a team spokeswoman said Friday.
Francois, one of the top reserves who appeared in all 24 games as a freshman in 2012, scored five goals and dished four assists for the Terps. He scored the goal that tied the College Cup against Georgetown at 4-4 in the 77th minute. His 14 points ranked fourth on the Terps.
Cyrus’ case is a little more complicated. He suffered a season-ending injury during the 2010 season, and the team filed a waiver for a medical redshirt. Due to an oversight, Cyrus never officially received the redshirt year, which means that 2012 was actually his senior season. The Terps found out about the oversight in June and filed an appeal with the NCAA for Cyrus to receive a fifth year with the program. Friday, that appeal was denied.
Cyrus is scheduled to graduate in December and will remain with the team as an undergraduate assistant.
“We are extremely disappointed that Jordan will not be able to play with our team this season,” coach Sasho Cirovski said in a statement. “He is a tireless worker and a tremendous leader on and off the field for us. Jordan will continue to play a vital role with our team this season. He is scheduled to earn his degree in sociology in December, continue to train and prepare for an aspiring professional soccer career and also travel with our team as an undergraduate assistant coach.”
Cyrus played in 23 games in 2012 and started 15, mostly filling in for the injured Taylor Kemp at defender. He scored two goals and had two assists. Cyrus came to the Terps as an ESPN Rise Magazine First Team All-American in 2009 and was the leading scorer at Norfolk Academy with 122 goals.
The Terps open the season Aug. 30 at Stanford. Their home opener is Sept. 6 against Duke. The NSCAA ranked the Terps at No. 2 in its preseason poll.
