After allowing two straight goals within a two minute span in the first half, a win was looking less and less likely for Maryland.
However, over the next 50 minutes of action, the Terps slowly but surely clawed their way back from a two-goal deficit to a 3-2 lead after goals by forward Hunter George, midfielder Malcolm Johnston and defender Nick Richardson.
The almost improbable comeback against a one-loss Rutgers team was a season-defining moment for Maryland, cementing its status as the toughest team in the Big Ten.
“I’m really pleased with these guys,” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “We’ve done quite well on the road so far.”
No. 8 Maryland men’s soccer traveled north to take on Rutgers in a Tuesday afternoon matchup.
The match, originally scheduled for 7 p.m., was moved up to 3:45 p.m. due to inclement weather in the area. In addition, the location was moved from Yurcak Field to the Miller Family Soccer Complex, where no fans were allowed to attend.
Despite the circumstances, the stakes remained just as high, as the Terps and the Scarlet Knights entered play tied atop the Big Ten standings with a 2-0-1 conference record and one total loss on the season for each team.
Rutgers’ number one offense in the Big Ten, combined with an elite Maryland defense that hasn’t allowed a goal since the Penn State match on September 20, set the stage for a highly competitive match.
Maryland goalkeeper Niklas Neumann made his return against the Scarlet Knights. Neumann had missed the previous four matches due to a knee injury. Before going down with the injury, Neumann had registered 13 saves to just five goals allowed on the season.
The match got underway with Johnston’s shot attempt in the first five minutes of action. Rutgers goalkeeper Aurie Briscoe made the save on the right side of the net.
Johnston’s shot was followed up by Rutgers forward MD Myers’ shot just over a minute later. Myers, who leads the Big Ten in goals with seven, fired a shot towards the net but it was blocked.
A second Rutgers shot attempt was blocked in the 10th minute, as midfielder/forward Jason Bouregy failed to get his shot past the tough Maryland backline.
In the first 20 minutes, Rutgers seemed to control the tempo of the match, outpacing Maryland four shots to one. However, the Scarlet Knights could not take advantage of any of their first few chances.
That quickly changed, as the ever-so-dangerous Myers made his second attempt of the match count. In the 20th minute, Bouregy passed to Myers, who shot a rocket off his right foot and through the top center portion of the net to give the Scarlet Knights the 1-0 advantage. The goal was Myers’ eighth of the season as he continued his massive hot streak.
Rutgers followed up Myers’ goal with another one just two minutes later. Midfielder/forward Pablo Avila knocked one through the bottom right of the goal off an assist from midfielder/forward Cole Cruthers, giving Rutgers the two-goal advantage early.
The senior did not record a save and allowed two goals in the first 45 minutes.
“I thought [Niklas] was really good.” Cirovski said. “I didn’t think he had any chance on both of their goals.”
Sensing the match beginning to get out of hand, George decided to take matters into his own hands. The senior shot an absolute laser from 25 yards out off his right foot, and the ball sank through the top left corner of the net, unassisted.
George’s goal cut the Terps’ deficit down to one as Rutgers led 2-1.
Maryland began to apply pressure to Rutgers’ defense, closing the shot attempt discrepancy to just one by the end of the first half.
Neumann made his first save of the match to begin the second half. Forward Ian Abbey’s shot attempt was shut down by the senior in front of the center net in the 49th minute.
No more shot attempts were mustered for a while after Abbey’s, as both teams traded possessions but neither could gain an advantage.
In the 63rd minute of action, Johnston fired off his second shot attempt of the game, this time finding the back of the net off his right foot. It was the midfielder’s fifth goal of the year, and the assist was awarded to defender Nick Richardson.
After three more shot attempts by the Scarlet Knights, all either off target or blocked, Richardson followed up his assist with a goal of his own. In reverse roles from 10 minutes prior, the defender received a pass from Johnston, knocking one through the bottom left of the net to give Maryland a 3-2 lead, completing a three-goal comeback.
“Malcolm’s my guy, I’ve known him for a long time, we’ve come really close over the last four years,” Richardson said. “I think we’re building a really good culture here. I don’t think it’s anybody in particular … but it’s all of us that have great connections.”
Neumann made his second save of the match in the 82nd minute, a big one off an Avila shot attempt, to officially give Maryland the victory.
The remarkable comeback kept the Terps undefeated in Big Ten play with a 3-0-1 conference record and 7-1-2 record overall. Rutgers fell to 2-1-1 in conference play and 5-2-4 overall.
“I think we were just a little bit sharper than we usually are, but that’s what it’s going to take for the rest of the season,” Richardson said. “To be a great team you have to make great opportunities of your chances and that’s what we did today, even though it was a really challenging day to do that.”
Maryland will continue its roadtrip Sunday at Northwestern. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
