The cross-country rivalry between Maryland and UCLA men’s soccer has often been a catalyst for dramatic moments and late-game heroics. Sebastian Elney’s strikingly similar overtime winners for Maryland in 2015 and 2017 top that list of iconic plays.

Scenes like those were absent from Friday night’s matchup between the No. 18 Terps and Bruins. The pair drew 0-0 in a drab offensive showing at Wallis Annenberg Stadium.

“We probably deserved three, but earned one point,” coach Sasho Cirovski said.

Maryland’s (6-0-3, 2-0-2 Big Ten) first goalless tie in over two years extends this season’s unbeaten start to nine games. But it was also the Terps’ dullest offensive display this season.

Maryland totaled two shots on target — one in each half — for its lowest mark of the year. With the attack out of sorts, defender Lasse Kelp was Maryland’s most consistent performer.

The senior, whom Cirovski described as “a warrior,” produced a particularly valiant second-half account against UCLA’s (2-5-3, 2-2-1 Big Ten) leading scorer, Sergei Solans Ormo.

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The Bruins striker got behind center back Tristen Rose just over 10 minutes into the second half. Solans Ormo seemingly had a clean one-on-one against Mack, but Kelp made up the distance to disrupt the attempt, which ultimately looped wide.

Kelp produced several other timely stops. That included a sliding block to deflect Artem Vovk’s 75th-minute strike out of play, and a tactical foul that hindered UCLA’s counter attack in the final minute. The latter of those two plays saw Kelp pick up his first yellow card of the season — a testament to his precise defensive work so far this year.

Goals per game entering play highlighted the attacking disparity between the two teams. Maryland was averaging a Big Ten-leading three, while the Bruins’ nine scores in their nine matches put them at a tie for the lowest mark in the conference.

UCLA goalkeeper Kevin Box made his first ever Division I appearance. The Terps hardly tested him during the first 35 minutes, creating just two shots. UCLA blocked one of those attempts, while winger Sadam Masereka pulled the other wide in a one-on-one with Box.

Lackluster execution on Maryland’s five first-half corners also let it down, but its superior attacking creativity surfaced as the half trickled along.

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The Terps flashed four looks at goal inside the final 15 minutes. Njike eventually drew a finger-tip save from Box with a curling right-footed shot. Rose skyed a free-header over the crossbar less than two minutes later.

It was an underwhelming opening 45 minutes for the Terps given their lofty goal-scoring standards this season. But their performance looked sensational in comparison to UCLA’s.

Despite handling the majority of possession for the first 20 minutes, the Bruins took their first shot just 29 seconds before halftime. It unsurprisingly rolled wide, sending the two teams into the break at a 0-0 stalemate.

The second half featured more intensity but the same results for both sides.

Senior Matias De Jesus sent a shot at Box in the 62nd minute. The Terps didn’t put another strike on target for the rest of the match. Yet, rather amazingly, the Bruins had even fewer.

UCLA finished the night without a shot on target. That partially speaks to Kelp’s defensive exploits alongside Rose, though it equally highlights a dismal evening for the Bruins in the final third.

Traveling over 2,300 miles for a goalless draw is undoubtedly frustrating, but the result is by no means detrimental to Maryland’s Big Ten standing.

“This is not an easy trip here against a very desperate UCLA team that is trying to survive their season,” Cirovski said. “So overall, we’ll take a point.”