When the Maryland men’s soccer team ran onto the field Friday night before game against Michigan State, it passed under a constant reminder of the program’s 2008 national championship — an empty goal frame with signs surrounding it that commemorate the pinnacle of college soccer.
The Terps were greeted in front of their bench by a group of former players, serving as an additional reminder of the program’s previous success. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Maryland’s 1968 co-national championship, the Terps exchanged handshakes and took pictures with more than a dozen of that year’s players and staff.
But on a night dedicated to a team that went undefeated, the current Maryland group was far from flawless in a deflating 2-0 loss, the team’s third at home this season.
“I’m really disappointed we weren’t able to put a smile on their faces,” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “It’s a meaningful game for them because they played against Michigan State, and we didn’t do our part.”
Cirovski honored the 1968 team for the second time in his tenure, celebrating the 14-0-1 season that ended with a 2-2 draw against the Spartans. When Cirovski was hired 25 years later, in 1993, the group owned the program’s only national title.
That team, Cirovski says, made him believe that he could win championships at Maryland, too.
Cirovski’s belief helped foster titles in 2005 and 2008, but the Terps have returned to the College Cup just twice since. Maryland’s lackluster performance on Friday night to drop to 1-2-2 this season against ranked teams shows the team is not among the nation’s elite.
Despite scoring nine goals in its previous five games, Maryland’s offense reverted to its early-season form against the Spartans, registering only four shots on goal with few threatening opportunities.
“It felt like when we got in the attacking third, they were blocking everything we tried to put on target,” midfielder Andrew Samuels said. “The keeper was making saves, and they did really well in their defensive end.”
Maryland had a season-high nine corner kicks, but not one materialized into a legitimate scoring chance. Even with the Terps trailing for most of the contest after conceding a 15th-minute goal, Spartans goalkeeper Jimmy Hague needed to make only one save in the second half to notch his sixth clean sheet of the season.
Offensive inconsistency has characterized the last two seasons for the Terps. Entering last year, Maryland was on a 28-game scoring streak, but it hasn’t scored in more than five consecutive matches since.
The team that sat in the crowd celebrating its championship scored in all 15 matches during its unbeaten run, averaging 3.7 goals per game. The honor of playing in front of them couldn’t inspire a single goal against Michigan State’s stout backline, and Cirovski joked the current players couldn’t handle the pressure.
The Terps have now been held scoreless in half of their games this season, and in losses like Friday’s, it left the players searching again for what is missing in the attacking third.
“Just a little bit of spark,” forward Sebastian Elney said. “We definitely tried out there. Things weren’t connecting. It happens sometimes in soccer, but we’ll be fine.”
Even during the current hiccup in what’s been a wildly successful quarter-century under Cirovski, the 1968 team continues to be supportive of the program. Cirovski says the group continually writes kind letters and emails to him about their appreciation for its Maryland soccer family.
On Friday, though, while that championship team reminded the current Terps how great the program can be, it didn’t get to relish a positive result against the opponent it tied 50 years ago to win the program’s first-ever title.
“We have incredible fans and incredible support and it pains me, it hurts me to not leave here with a smile on their face,” Cirovski said. “But we move on.”
