With the Terps knocking on the door countless times but failing to crack the scoreboard with 15 minutes remaining, frustration began to build in College Park.
Freshman forward Albi Ndrenika received a pass just to the right of the net, rising up for a header. The ball made its way towards the goal, but Northwestern goalkeeper Christian Garner rejected it, letting the ball dribble out of bounds.
Just a few minutes later, midfielder Justin Harris had a golden opportunity to score with Garner away from the net. A Northwestern defender flew in to make the rescue save.
With an overtime period seeming inevitable, it was forward Colin Griffith who saved the day and broke the scoreless tie.
In the 76th minute, the freshman received a pass from midfielder Malcolm Johnston just in front of the net. The ball deflected off Griffith’s leg and into the back of the net, sending the Ludwig Field crowd into a frenzy.
“Colin made a huge difference today,” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “He’s learning to play with greater intensity … almost every time he touched the ball, something good happened.”
No. 1-seed Maryland men’s soccer got its revenge on No. 8-seed Northwestern in the Big Ten Quarterfinals, after being upset by the Wildcats in the same round last season.
Similar to the match in the 2021 Big Ten Tournament which ended in a shootout after two overtime periods, both sides put on a defensive clinic highlighted by excellent play from the goalkeepers.
The only difference was Griffith’s clutch goal, but it was just enough to send the Terps to the semifinals to take on Indiana Wednesday night.
Both sides came out with a physical approach, with seven combined fouls through the first 14 minutes. Maryland failed to create many chances early, while the Wildcats saw their first two shot attempts erased by goalkeeper Niklas Neumann.
The Terps began to work the ball into the final third towards the middle portion of the first half. A Stefan Copetti header sailed over the net in the 24th minute for the Terps’ first shot attempt, and forward Joshua Bolma took a shot just a few minutes later which was saved by Garner. But chances began to occur more frequently for the Big Ten regular season champions as tensions rose at Ludwig Field.
After allowing Northwestern to work the ball on its attacking half at the start, the Terps gained back momentum en route to a 55% possession total in the first half. Both teams entered the locker rooms looking to capitalize on more of their chances in the next period.
Despite the time to regroup and sure up the game plan, both teams continued to struggle offensively to begin the second half. Bolma had multiple opportunities, one coming off a steal of his own and another coming off a pass from Griffith –– but the redshirt sophomore failed to capitalize.
Maryland had two penalty kicks for the first time in a game this season, one in each half. The first was taken by Johnston, who was 4-4 on previous PK attempts this season. Bolma took the kick in the second half, but couldn’t find the back of the net as Garner made a diving save to his right.
“I think we always believe we’re going to get a goal,” Griffith said. “Two penalties missed, that really never happens. But we bounced back, always believed … and got a goal.”
Ensuing shot attempts by Ndreinika, Harris and forward Hunter George continued along the same lines. But it was Griffith who broke the streak to put the Terps ahead for good.
Despite the 75 minute deadlock, Maryland scored when it mattered and continued its stellar defense to close out the match.
“I thought the second part of the first half, we started to take control,” Cirovski said. “But the second half was all us. That was more like Maryland soccer.”
Up next, the Terps head to the semifinal round, where they will take on No. 4-seed Indiana.
“Indiana’s a really good team,” Griffith said. “We just went down there and won the Big Ten, so they’re obviously going to come in with a chip on their shoulder.”
