After a slow start to its season, Maryland men’s soccer has gone on an incredible run, reaching its first College Cup since 2013. Now, the Terps are just two wins away from their fourth national championship in program history.
Opponent: No. 2 Indiana Hoosiers (20-2-1)
Location: Meredith Field at Harder Stadium in Santa Barbara, California
Kickoff: 10:30 p.m. ET, Friday, Dec. 7
TV: ESPNU
Streaming: WatchESPN
Radio: WMUC Sports — Brendan Hartlove and Joe Malfa
Last game: Maryland beat No. 3 Kentucky 1-0, Indiana beat No. 7 Notre Dame 1-0
Last matchup: Nov. 9, 2018 — Big Ten tournament semifinal — Indiana 1, Maryland 1 (Indiana advanced 4-3 on penalties)
What to watch for Maryland: Defense wins championships
The Terps have yet to give up a goal in their three NCAA tournament games, defeating NC State, Duke and Kentucky by a combined score of 5-0. Junior defender Donovan Pines has been incredible at the center back position, shutting down each team’s best attacker. In goal, redshirt junior Dayne St. Clair has been phenomenal. He has 11 saves in three games, including eight in the win over Duke, and one incredible one against Kentucky to save the Terps. If Maryland’s backline and goalkeeper keep up the great play, the Terrapins will be hard to beat.
What to watch for Indiana: Gutman. Gutman. Gutman.
Indiana has a lot of great players, but its best is senior defender Andrew Gutman, who defends well, but also has 11 goals and nine assists on the season. He is one of the three finalists for the 2018 Mac Hermann Trophy, which is awarded to college soccer’s top player, and has scored all three of Indiana’s goals in two games against the Terps this season. For Maryland to win, Sasho Cirovski’s team will have to find a way to stop Gutman.
