When midfielder Eli Crognale played a corner kick in the 57th minute Sunday afternoon, Maryland men’s soccer defender Donovan Pines rose above the NC State defense and sent the cross sharply off the post.
At 6-foot-5, Pines has been Maryland’s primary target on set pieces this season, looking to use his height to score goals. This was no different in the second half of the second round of the NCAA tournament, as Crognale picked out Pines perfectly in the middle of the box.
Pines’ shot rung off the post, but it became an assist when forward Sebastian Elney rushed through the scrum and finished the rebound, putting the Terps comfortably up 2-0 with 30 minutes left to play.
Pines’ size was a consistent problem for the Wolfpack on both ends of the field, as NC State recorded only one shot and couldn’t contain Pines on the second-half set piece that cemented Maryland’s 2-0 victory at Ludwig Field.
“He poses good challenges, but the league we play in there’s weapons all over the field,” NC State coach George Kiefer said. “He clearly had as six- or seven-inch height advantage.”
[Read more: Maryland men’s soccer advances to NCAA tourney 3rd round with 2-0 win over NC State]
Entering the matchup, Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski feared NC State midfielders David Loera and Gabriel Machado would be problems for his defense. The duo, two of the Wolfpack’s top three scorers this season, combined for nine goals this season.
Machado scored twice three days earlier in NC State’s first-round victory over Campbell, and as a team, the Wolfpack had already faced tough defenses in the ACC all season long.
“It presented a big challenge because they kept dropping underneath to get the ball in front of our back four,” Cirovski said. “We had to make sure we had a great understanding between our two center backs and two defensive midfielders how to shut them down. “
[Read more: Maryland men’s soccer thinks it can avoid another Ludwig Field NCAA tournament disaster]
But behind Pines and a completely fresh back line, Maryland’s defense was nearly impeccable. NC State had one shot the entire contest, which came 78 minutes after the opening whistle. It was the fewest shots Dayne St. Clair has faced all season.
Maryland’s opponents took 37 shots in their two Big Ten tournament games, but that was with an incomplete and unhealthy defense. Defenders Chase Gasper and Brett St. Martin didn’t play in the conference quarterfinal against Michigan State, while a concussion meant Pines missed his first game of the season in the semifinal.
But after eight days of rest to recover, Pines — and his head — played a significant role in the Terps advancing to the third round.
Throughout the afternoon, NC State tried to play long balls down field, directly challenging Pines and the Maryland defense. Several of those long crosses upfield were directed at Loera, standing at 5-foot-5. Pines, an entire foot taller, consistently headed away the pressure, keeping the ball away from the small but nifty midfielders in Loera and Machado.
“We knew we were playing against a good team offensively,” Pines said. “But we did what we had to. … We got the job done.”
On the other end of the pitch, Pines helped put the game out of reach, 46 minutes after midfielder Amar Sejdic gave the Terps a 1-0 lead in the first half. NC State couldn’t prevent Pines from getting his head on the ball, and a lunge from Elney gave him his third goal of the season.
The Terps finally gave up their first and only shot shortly after, but St. Clair made the diving save required to control the threat. NC State tried to mount a comeback, but thanks to Pines’ efforts offensively and defensively, the game was well out of reach after Maryland’s second goal.
“In tournaments like this … any small little deflection can lead one way or another to a goal,” Sejdic said. “So getting a security goal is definitely comforting for the mindset of team and knowing that we do have the front foot.”
