Maryland men’s soccer defender Luca Costabile received a pass inside the box. He attempted to find a teammate for a shot, but was tripped by a Virginia defender instead.
Midfielder Leon Koehl placed the ball on the spot to take the Terps first penalty of the season. The sophomore shot to his left and beat Cavaliers’ goalie Joey Batrouni.
Koehl’s tally in the 42nd minute marked his first career goal in a Maryland uniform and the Terps’ first goal from 12 yards since 2022 after they missed all four spot kick attempts a season ago.
Koehl’s first-half tally earned Maryland a draw against rival Virginia, 1-1, Monday night at Ludwig Field.
The Terps (1-1-2) outshot the Cavaliers (2-1-1), 10-6, but only placed two of their efforts on goal in their second draw in four games.
“I thought we did everything right except maybe convert some chances,” coach Sasho Cirovksi said. “We made some plays on the defensive side, just didn’t make enough on the attacking side.”
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Virginia presented a grander challenge than Maryland’s last opponent, Detroit Mercy, whom the Terps put five goals past in their first victory of the season. The Cavaliers conceded just once in their initial three games.
Midway through the opening half, the Terps created a flurry of chances.
Forward Sadam Masereka used his speed and dribbled the ball all the way to the goal line. He lifted a cross into the box that Koehl met, but he placed the volley wide. Costabile had an effort from 12 yards blocked over the crossbar minutes later.
Colin Griffith put the first shot on frame for either side in the 22nd minute, but was denied by Virginia goalie Batrouni.
Maryland’s second shot on target came from the penalty spot. It was its last for the rest of the match.
Costabile was tripped inside the box after receiving a pass from Albi Ndrenika. Koehl placed the ball on the spot and converted the penalty. The score was Koehl’s first career tally for the Terps.
“I appreciate the trust of my teammates,” Koehl said. “We didn’t score the last four pens [last season], so it’s like, kind of pressure, but I scored.”
Maryland placed less than half its shots — 19 of 40 — on goal in its first three games. It only put two of its four total first half shots on frame, but Koehl’s strike in the 42nd minute leveled the match right before the half. Virginia defender Nick Dang scored the first goal of the game on a penalty kick six minutes prior.
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Dang’s tally from 12 yards out was Virginia’s only shot on goal in the opening half. The junior put the spot kick into the bottom left corner to beat Maryland goalie Laurin Mack.
Costabile had a chance to put the Terps in front in the first 11 minutes of the new half, but his shot flew over the crossbar. He put another shot high above the bar in the 71st minute after Colin Griffith had a shot blocked.
Virginia is one of the least accurate shooting teams in the country. The Cavaliers placed 23 of 63 shots on target and netted eight goals over their opening three games of the year. Their 37 percent shooting clip is 164th in the country — the second-worst in the ACC.
After Dang’s goal in the 36th minute, the Cavaliers didn’t attempt a shot for the next 33 minutes.
Virginia’s two shots on goal in the second half came off the foot of forward Hayes Wood. Wood ran in behind the Maryland back line as Mack rushed off his line. The forward attempted to place a shot into the bottom left corner, but Mack got his hand on the ball to deny him.
The Terps’ shot stopper made another save in the final three minutes when Wood had a free header go into the arms of Mack.
Despite the Terps playing a majority of the second half in possession of the ball, they couldn’t find another goal to earn consecutive wins for the first time this season. Other than Koehl’s penalty, Griffith’s shot was the only other effort placed on goal.
“I think it’s just a matter of getting that final pass, or that final finish is lacking,” Cirovski said. “We’re getting into good spots where we just need a little bit more, whether it’s individual quality or better combination play to execute.”
