No. 2 Maryland men’s soccer faces No. 14 Washington with Big Ten regular season lead at stake

Photo courtesy of Norah Copenhaver/Maryland Terrapins

With a conference standings lead on the line, Maryland men’s soccer is aiming to extend its four-game win streak.

No. 2 Maryland (10-0-3, 6-0-2 Big Ten) will continue play at Ludwig Field in College Park for the last home game of the regular season against No. 14 Washington (10-3-2, 7-1-0 Big Ten). Friday night will be the fifth match for both teams against a ranked opponent and the fourth time these teams have faced. 

The Terps will test their winning streak against the Huskies, who are entering the match riding six straight victories. Maryland is hoping to continue its best regular season since 2017, when it also went undefeated through the first 13 games of the season.

A year later, the Terps won the national championship.

“I’m seeing a lot of similar toughness, similar hunger, similar honesty in how we work, how we play together, how we fight,” head coach Sasho Cirovski said in regards to the similarities between his current team and his 2018 NCAA national championship team.

The Terps have out scored their opponents 11-2 during their last four victories, while Washington has only allowed one goal in its past six wins. Both teams have recorded seven shutouts this season.

Maryland overpowered Indiana 3-2 last Friday with goals from forwards Sadam Masereka and Stephane Njike, and senior defender Luca Costabile. The Terps’ strong defense only allowed one goal from senior forward Palmer Ault, who leads the nation in goals (15) and points (38).

Washington is coming off a 5-0 victory against Ohio State. This was the third time this season the Huskies have scored five or more goals in a game. Goalkeeper Jadon Bowton recorded a season high of six saves throughout the match after facing 15 shots. 

The graduate student was named the Big Ten’s Goalkeeper of the Week after claiming his fourth clean sheet this season against the Buckeyes. 

Maryland holds a 2-1 series record over Washington, defeating them 3-1 last season. 

When these teams faced last season, Bowton logged four saves while Maryland’s sophomore goalkeeper Laurin Mack recorded five. This season, Mack holds a 0.827 save percentage compared to Bowton 0.733 save percentage.

On the offensive end, Maryland is more well-rounded, whereas Washington’s offense is strong individually. 

Washington has three players ranked in the top five for most points in the Big Ten. Sophomore midfielder Zach Ramsey ranks second in the conference with 18 points. The midfielder tallied seven points throughout the Huskies’ six-game win streak. 

Junior forward Charlie Kosakoff leads Washington in goals (seven) and shots (40). The forward is tied for fourth in the Big Ten in points (17), matching fellow Husky senior Richie Aman and Maryland’s Njike. 

Aman ranks second in the nation in assists (11), with five coming during Washington’s hot streak over its last six games. 

Senior midfielder Albi Ndrenika has recorded seven assists this season, a majority of which have come from goals by Maryland’s leading scorers Njike and Masereka. The midfielder has assisted two of Masereka’s goals and three of Njike’s.

The Terps rank second in the nation in points per game (8.69) and scoring offense (2.69 goals per game). The Huskies, meanwhile, rank fifth in points per game (7.87) and fourth in scoring offense (2.53 goals per game).

Although Maryland averages more points per game, the Terps are one point behind Washington in the Big Ten standings. They sit in second place with 20 points, while the Huskies are ranked No. 1 with 21 points. 

A win would move Maryland a step closer to securing its fourth Big Ten regular season championship.