Late into Tuesday’s match in Piscataway, New Jersey, against Rutgers, No. 7 Maryland men’s soccer was nearing another draw in Big Ten play.
After 83 minutes of sound defense from the Scarlet Knights, Farouk Cisse found a crack in their armor, scoring the game-winning goal in the Terps’ 2-1 victory.
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Cisse gained possession of the ball in the midfield, where he was able to shake William Pierce and Braxton Montgomery to create enough space and get off a hit. The sophomore defender sent a spinning shot to the bottom right corner of the net past a diving Rafael Ponce De Leon.
The Scarlet Knights’ keeper was out of position and couldn’t get his eyes on the shot before it was too late. Maryland keeper Laurin Mack, on the other hand, made the game-clinching save with two minutes left, stopping a shot from Pierce.
Two game-winning plays from Cisse and Mack earned the Terps their first Big Ten road victory of the season.
The Terps threw the first punch with Rodrigo Neri scoring at the four-minute mark in the first half. Franklin Affanyi sent a lead pass to Henry Bernstein, who chased it down the right wing before sending it into the box. As he has all season long, Neri was in the right position and finished the chance to give him a team-high sixth goal of the season and close out Bernstein’s sixth assist.
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Maryland’s ability to control possession dwindled quickly after the goal and Rutgers’ leading goalscorer Amer Lukovic got off a couple of dangerous chances, one of which forced Mack to make a crucial save on a Scarlet Knights set piece.
Lukovic eventually found the back of the net in the 19th minute, as he soared uncontested above Maryland’s defense on a corner kick and redirected the pass into the net for his third goal of the season.
In addition to the offense, the Terps literally struggled to gain traction on the pitch. A few moments of slippage in the half allowed the Scarlet Knights to get a few chances going into the Terps’ defensive third.
For the fourth time in conference play, the Terps were outshot in the first half – Rutgers had five more first-half shots and finished with 15 total. Lukovic’s goal also added to Maryland’s first-half struggles; it’s allowed a goal in the opening half of seven of their ten matches this year.
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In the second half, the Terps and Scarlet Knights were gridlocked for most of the half. Each team had limited serious scoring chances as both defenses tightened up their form. The Terps’ best chance came from Rocket Ritarita, who nutmegged multiple Scarlet Knight defenders before getting off a shot that went just wide of the net.
Maryland will return from its road trip Friday to take on No. 8 Michigan State for their fourth ranked game of the season.
1. One-score wonders. Friday’s win over Rutgers was the Terps’ seventh win this season, all coming by one goal. Throughout the season, head coach Sasho Cirovski has recognized the adversity the Terps have faced and embraced it. Last season, the Terps didn’t lose a match in the regular season, which led to them struggling while down in the postseason. The adversity from the season may help the Terps’ run in November and potentially December.
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2. Mack-nificent. Laurin Mack looked comfortable between the pipes tonight for the Terps, making six saves and being a key piece of Maryland’s victory. Entering the match, Mack had allowed a Big Ten-high 17 goals, but it didn’t reflect his play this season. Even with his backline continuing to work out lingering kinks, Mack continues to be a leader and integral piece to the Terps’ success.
3. Lineup shuffle (again). Ritarita and Affanyi reentered the starting lineup Tuesday while Leon Koehl and Said El Eyssami exited. While Koehl didn’t play the entirety of the game, Cirovski elected to play El Eyssami for 39 minutes off the bench. Cirovski hasn’t been afraid to change lineups and formations this season, which has led to mixed results. Entering the back half of the season, the Terps are still searching for the lineup that brings out their best play.
