As most of Maryland men’s soccer players left the training pitch Tuesday morning, a few Terps remained. One of those was sophomore Stephane Njike, who spent some extra time practicing one-touch shots with his preferred right foot.
That extra work proved prophetic in Maryland’s Big Ten opener against Wisconsin on Friday night.
Attacking midfielder Albi Ndrenika capitalized on a lazy Wisconsin pass in the 69th minute. He took several touches before playing Njike through on the counter attack. With a defender at his hip, the sophomore beat Wisconsin goalkeeper Matisse Hébert with a right-footed shot at the near post.
Njike’s score proved to be the decisive one, as Maryland beat the Badgers 3-1 at McClimon Soccer Complex. The Terps (4-0-1) are now unbeaten in their past five conference openers. They earned their first win in Madison since 2017.
“The last three or four trips down here [to Wisconsin have] not been the results we wanted,” Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski said. “I challenged our team to change that narrative, and I think they took it to heart.”
Several players contributed to Maryland’s strong offensive night, but Njike was a consistent threat throughout the evening.
The Terps played a bevy of long balls — particularly in the first half — when on offense. It was an interesting strategic twist, considering Maryland had seldom used that approach during its first four games this season.
The switch allowed Njike to get behind Wisconsin’s (2-3) backline on several occasions, running onto long passes for what turned into worthwhile opportunities.
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None of those lofty passes ever led to goals, but the move offered a different look for a Maryland attack that had tallied 10 goals across its previous two games.
The Terps and Badgers exchanged penalty scores prior to Njike’s second-half goal. Maryland’s spot kick in particular held added significance.
Penalties had been a surprising point of inconsistency for the Terps entering Friday’s match.
Leon Koehl’s 7-for-7 penalty mark last season made him the unquestioned taker this season — until his miss against Bucknell two weeks ago. Cirovski was particularly adamant about one thing after that game. He said Koehl wouldn’t miss another spot kick the rest of the season.
Despite what Cirovski declared, senior Luca Costabile stepped to the penalty marker when Maryland won its second penalty of the season against Pacific last Saturday.
Koehl was back on penalties against the Badgers, and he made good on that chance to reaffirm his manager’s trust. The junior scored his attempt in the 23rd minute to give Maryland a 1-0 lead.
In an ironic twist, a penalty miss by the Badgers led directly to the score. Badgers freshman Aidan Martinez hit the underside of the crossbar with a header, ricocheting the ball toward the goal line, though it didn’t fully cross the white paint. The Terps immediately cleared the attempt and broke away on a counter attack.
Koehl released Masereka with a pass down the left hand side. Masereka then drew the penalty after being fouled in the 18-yard box.
Nine minutes — largely full of fouls and throw-ins — followed Zachemski’s score before Njike recaptured the lead for Maryland. Then, the Big Ten Freshman of the Week sealed the road victory for the Terps.
[A surprising freshman is fueling Maryland men’s soccer’s strong start]
Freshman Rocket Ritarita made a perfectly timed run to break past the Wisconsin defense in the 76th minute. Running onto a through ball, Ritarita chipped in the final goal of the evening.
It continued Ritarita’s impressive introduction to college soccer. His two goals and four assists leads Maryland in points despite logging just 129 minutes to start the year.
“He’s very fast. He can finish. He’s smart. This guy’s 18 years old [and] he’s very mature already,” Costabile said. “I don’t think I’ve had this talent on a freshman [in] my four years here.”
