Maryland men’s soccer forward Max Rogers raced forward. He sent in a low ball from the side of the box to the back post, where Sadam Masereka was crashing toward.
The junior got on the end of Rogers’ cross, sending a shot down off the crossbar and over the goal line. The Terps’ second goal in 10 minutes completed a second-half turnaround.
No. 12 Maryland’s late scores earned it a come-from-behind victory over Michigan State, 2-1, Saturday night at Ludwig Field.
The Terps (6-1-4, 4-0-1 Big Ten) end the night atop the Big Ten standings with 13 points through five games and have yet to lose a conference match.
“It means a lot for me, because we came here to try to change what happened last season,” Masereka said. “The coaches have a lot of expectations of me so I had to get this one.”
Maryland’s defense has been stable since the start of conference play. The Terps allowed just two goals through their four outings against Big Ten opposition, keeping two clean sheets.
[Colin Griffith, Laurin Mack have fueled Maryland men’s soccer’s bounce-back season]
Spartans’ (4-5-2, 3-2-0 Big Ten) forward Jake Spadafora dribbled the ball through the Michigan State attacking third in the fourth minute. He had an option to lay a pass off to midfielder Shion Soga, but Spadafora took the shot himself.
Spadafora kept the ball low, but Mack dove and pushed it away. His first and only save in the opening 45 minutes kept the Spartans attack — which ranks worst in the Big Ten with just eight goals — scoreless.
But in the 59th minute, Michigan’s State beat Mack with its third shot on goal.
The Terps’ goalie made a save to deny defender Brandon Munson, giving the Spartans a corner. Defender Jeremy Sharp sent an in-swinging cross into the box. Will Eby glanced a header from the near post to the far post to give Michigan State the one-goal lead.
[No. 12 Maryland men’s soccer ends Big Ten winning streak in 1-1 draw with Penn State]
Maryland’s attack has been soaring to complement its stout defense. The Terps scored in each of their four matches against Big Ten opposition, netting seven goals. They found one late against the Spartans from a likely source.
Griffith has emerged as a catalyst for Maryland. The junior accounted for three of its conference scores entering Saturday. He was the only Terp attacker to place a shot on frame when he glanced a header on goal, but Michigan State goalie Zac Kelly caught the effort.
But the Terps found their answer in the 73rd minute. Griffith curled in a shot to the right post to tie the game at one apiece.
Griffith’s tally marks his fourth against conference opponents and his fifth marker in six matches. The forward said his confidence is soaring and his long-range effort will add to that.
Masereka then finished off Rogers’ cross in the 83rd minute to rescue a Maryland victory, their fourth in the last five matches.
“I knew he would be there,” Rogers said. “But it was more just a on the same page kind of situation, which was luckily a good thing.”
The Terps’ late-game heroics kept them at the top of the table. They earned another three points to keep them in contention for another Big Ten title, one year after failing to win a single conference match.
“When we went down, we were challenged, and our guys responded like champions,” coach Sasho Cirovksi said. “And that bodes well for the type of team that we will become.”
