The Terps were handed their first loss in two months.
No. 2 Maryland men’s soccer showed up to Ann Arbor, Michigan, as the top dog in the conference, unbeaten in two months. Ninety minutes later, neither of those things rang true.
Maryland outshot Michigan, 21-8, missed a penalty and lost, 2-0, on the road. It was the team’s first Big Ten loss of the year.
The Terps entered the match shorthanded, and without possibly their most important player in midfielder Leon Koehl. It didn’t take long for his absence to be felt.
About five minutes into the match, Sadam Masereka showcased his rapid speed, flying past his defender and drawing a penalty on a poorly-timed slide tackle. Koehl had taken Maryland’s previous six penalties and made all six, but without him, head coach Sasho Cirovski turned to Colin Griffith.
Griffith took a casual run-up and tapped a weak low shot that Michigan keeper Isaiah Goldson saved.
Five minutes later, Wolverine midfielder Bryce Blevins crossed in a ball from the left side that landed perfectly on the head of Patrick O’Toole, whose header deflected off Luca Costabile into Maryland’s left corner.
Maryland found itself in a 1-0 hole to a program with just one conference win this season, after 10 minutes of play.
There was no immediate sign of improvement either. The remaining 35 minutes of the first half were characterized by constant clock stoppages, scuffles and both teams losing possession.
Freshman Jameson Michel came off the bench late in the half and provided one of Maryland’s only sparks of inspiration: a shot that forced a save from Goldson. The Terps headed to the locker room trailing 1-0 and desperately needing to regroup.
But their hole got deeper. The referee went to video review four minutes into the half for a potential handball on Bjarne Thiesen and determined it was worthy of a penalty.
In stark contrast to the Terps’ penalty kick, Blevins stepped up and confidently sent Laurin Mack the wrong direction, doubling Michigan’s advantage early in the half.
From there, Maryland seemed to find itself. It responded to Michigan’s second goal with a barrage of chances.
It needed more than just chances, though. The Terps needed two goals, and it seemed no matter what they did, one wouldn’t come.
Goldson made multiple impressive saves. Griffith, whose night began with the missed penalty, hit the post, then the crossbar.
Ultimately, the Terps left Ann Arbor with something they haven’t experienced in a long time: a loss.
Three things to know
1. The Wolverines’ keeper shined. In the second half, Maryland generated chances, but every time it looked to be in a good position, Goldson had an answer. His nine saves were the most by any keeper in a Maryland game this season.
2. Big Ten standings implications. While Maryland was losing, No. 1 Ohio State took down Northwestern, 2-0, at home. The Buckeyes now have a leg up on the Terps for the Big Ten regular season title, but Maryland is still in control of its destiny if it can win its final two games. The Buckeyes will only need a draw in College Park if they can maintain their two-point advantage.
3. Terps were out-physicaled. The game was a classic Big Ten conference battle that featured plenty of shoving matches, clock stoppages and fouls. The Wolverines seemed to handle the physical nature much better than the Terps. The game produced 37 total fouls.