In the first half of the Maryland men’s soccer team’s game against Rutgers on Tuesday, as the Terps’ scoreless streak climbed over 200 minutes, the team showed signs of frustration.
In the 33rd minute, a Scarlet Knight defender cleared midfielder Jake Rozhansky’s shot off the line, and the senior leaned on the left post for several seconds before getting in position for the corner kick.
Nine minutes later, midfielder Eryk Williamson yelled directions at midfielder Jorge Calix after a Terps attack was cleared for a throw-in.
The scoreless streak lasted about 10 more minutes before forward Gordon Wild put the No. 3 Terps (5-0-1, 1-0-1 Big Ten) on the board, and he added another en route to Maryland’s 3-0 win, in which the Terps outshot Rutgers, 25-3.
“We were very positive at the half,” Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski said. “Today the only thing lacking was maybe that final, quality pass.”
Less than seven minutes into the second half, the Terps found the final ball they needed and Wild scored the first of his two point-blank goals of the day.
Rozhansky passed to Williamson down the right wing, and Williamson found Wild alone in front of net for an easy score.
“We started the second half off beautifully,” Cirovski said.
Fewer than eight minutes later, Wild earned another simple goal when a cross from Rozhansky trickled past many bodies to Wild. The junior stuck his left foot out and knocked it past goalkeeper Rafael Pereira, who was one of the players Rozhansky’s pass eluded.
They were notable scores for the Terps and for Wild, who struggled mightily against Indiana. The German missed the target on all five of his shots Friday, including an open header late in regulation, and he notched a couple misfires early in Tuesday’s game.
“That was simply my own fault,” Wild said. “Today I showed I’m still able to play some football.”
After using three forwards for some games earlier this season, Cirovski switched to a 4-4-2 formation Tuesday, closer to what the team used last year.
As a result, Wild spent more time closer to the net, allowing him to score his fourth and fifth goals of the year.
“I just felt home inside of the box,” Wild said.
Though it took Wild and Maryland 52 minutes to notch their opening score, the team dominated Rutgers (1-4-1, 0-2-0) from the opening kick.
Maryland had five corner kicks and two shots in the first 13 minutes, after totaling three corner kicks and seven shots in 110 minutes of play against the Hoosiers.
Rutgers, meanwhile, struggled to create counterattacks or hold possession for significant lengths of time.
They never allowed the Scarlet Knights into the game, and midfielder Eli Crognale put the finishing touch on the victory in the 85th minute, taking advantage of a giveaway in Rutgers’ defense and notching his first goal as a Terp.
“We just went out today, had fun together and tried to play as a team,” Wild said. “It worked really well.”
