The Terps look to remain undefeated in the Big Ten.
With three regular season games remaining, Maryland has a clear path to the Big Ten regular season championship.
With a conference record of 5-0-2, if Maryland wins its final three games there is nothing any other Big Ten program can do to stop it from capturing that title.
Head coach Sasho Cirovski remains focused on the short-term, though, as the Terps travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan, to take on Michigan Friday. The game will begin at 7 p.m. and be streamed on Big Ten Plus.
“The goal always has been, we need to improve from the last game,” Cirovski said. “We want to be focused on the process of improving, enjoying playing with each other, and recognizing how hard you have to work.”
Michigan Wolverines (6-3-5, 1-3-4 Big Ten)
Michigan’s season has been characterized by two different teams: the one that has shown up in conference play and the one that showed up outside of it.
The Wolverines started their season 5-0-1. They have won just once since, and have suffered some embarrassing blowouts, including a 6-3 loss to rival Ohio State.
Head coach Chaka Daley, in his 13th season, has two games to try and right the ship before the postseason. The Terps should meet a team desperate for a victory.
Players to Watch
Beto Soto, graduate forward, No. 21 — Soto transferred to the Wolverines after four years at Marquette and has experienced no trouble adjusting to life in the Big Ten. He is the conference’s assist leader with nine on the season, and he has added three goals as well. He will be a threat to produce offense anytime he has the ball.
Bryce Blevins, graduate midfielder/defender, No. 11 — Blevins has been a consistent contributor for the Wolverines in his time with the program, particularly over the last two seasons. He earned a second-team All-Big Ten nod in 2023 and has been arguably more impressive this season, totaling four goals and five assists to this point.
Nolan Miller, junior defender, No. 4 — Miller has been a rock in the back for the Wolverines in all three seasons on the team. He has been a regular starter since his freshman season and is a big, physical presence on the backline, standing at 6-foot-2.
Strength
Goalkeeping. Michigan has used three different goalkeepers in 2024, but sophomore Isaiah Goldson has stood out as the strongest. At times, Goldson’s back line has put him in tough situations, such as against Ohio State when it allowed 12 shots on target, but Goldson’s save percentage of 70.8% is one of the better marks for Big Ten starters. In the last two games, he has made six saves on seven shots on target and came up with multiple clutch stops to secure a 0-0 draw against Michigan State.
Weakness
Offensive form. The Wolverines have scored once in their last 360 minutes of soccer. In their last three games, they have been held completely scoreless. They will need to find a different gear offensively against Maryland’s back line and goalie Laurin Mack, who is coming off one of his best outings of the year.
Three things to watch
1. Leon Koehl’s availability. Koehl, who has been one of Maryland’s most important players in 2024, left last match with a foot injury. Cirovski said they had no update on Koehl’s injury and he is still being evaluated. He did not practice on Wednesday and was wearing a walking boot on his foot.
“You can’t have 11 players and think you’re going to make it through the whole season,” team captain Alex Nitzl said, “you got to have more people. I think that [depth] is one of our biggest strengths.”
2. Terps back on the road. Maryland has been road warriors in 2024, with a record of 3-0-1. The Terps have won all three conference road games and will look to add two more with Michigan and then Rutgers the following week.
3. Target on Maryland’s back? Maryland has continued to ascend college soccer rankings, now up to No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches poll and No. 4 in NCAA’s RPI rankings. This makes a win over them a massive resume builder for anyone.
“Honestly, I don’t think it’s [the high rankings] that much different than otherwise,” Nitzl said. “Sasho pissed off a lot of people before that everyone who plays against Maryland soccer wants to take that win.”