Late offensive push aids No. 8 Maryland men’s soccer in 4-0 win over Ohio State

Photo by Kevin Snyder/Maryland Terrapins. Photo courtesy of Maryland Athletics.

After scoring on a free kick less than ten minutes prior, Maryland men’s soccer had an opportunity to capitalize on another Ohio State penalty.

The Terps did just that as midfielder Kenny Quist-Therson headed a far-post cross into the back of the net, extending Maryland’s lead to 3-0 and blowing the game open.

No. 8 Maryland (9-0-3, 5-0-2 Big Ten) cruised past Ohio State (5-8, 2-5 Big Ten) 4-3 on Saturday at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in Columbus. The win was the first time Maryland has defeated Ohio State since 2022. 

“We didn’t have a great first half; we couldn’t keep the ball like we normally do,” head coach Sasho Cirovski said. “But the way we came back in the second half, we were able to create that penalty, and after that, we just took control of the game.”

After scoring his first goal with Maryland on Tuesday against Rutgers, senior midfielder Joseph Umberto Picotto netted the first goal of the match 46 seconds into the match. A cross kick by sophomore forward Stephane Njike bounced off sender defender Tristen Rose’s head and landed right in front of Umberto Picotto, who ripped a shot past goalkeeper Max Trejo.

“He’s a competitor, he gets in the box, he goes for the good balls,” Cirovski said on Umberto Picotto. “He’s been a huge asset over the last several games.”

Umberto Picotto started his fourth match with Maryland as midfielders Chris Steinleitner and Leon Koehl sat out the match due to illness.  

The first half ended with the Buckeyes outshooting the Terps 5-to-4. Ohio State put three on goal — all of which were saved by goalkeeper Laurin Mack. The sophomore was named Big Ten goalkeeper of the week following his three-save performance against Michigan on Oct. 10th and continued his strong play into Saturday’s matchup. 

Defender Lasse Kelp dominated the Buckeyes’ offense throughout the match. The senior was a tackling machine, preventing Ohio State from placing the ball anywhere near the backline.

In the 66th minute, Ohio State defender Nick McHenry received a yellow card after grabbing senior forward Sadam Masereka’s jersey inside the box. On the ensuing penalty kick, Masereka extended the Terps’ lead on a shot into the left half of the net. The goal is Masereka’s fifth this season, tying him with Njike for the most goals on the team.

Less than 10 minutes later, the Terps capitalized on another Ohio State yellow card as  Quist-Therson headed a far-post cross from Umberto Picotto. The goal extended Maryland’s lead to 3-0 and marked Quist-Therson’s first goal this season.

Maryland’s offense continued to attack in the later stages of the match. In the 86th minute, freshman midfielder Henry Bernstein tallied his second career goal on an assist from freshman forward Rocket Ritarita. The goal extended Maryland’s lead to 4-0 and helped capture its third consecutive win.

The Terps will now return to Ludwig Field on Friday to face No. 14 Indiana.