No. 2 Maryland men’s soccer unable to find breakthrough in 2-0 loss to Michigan

Photo by Ashley Ray/Maryland Terrapins

Maryland attacker Colin Griffith stepped up to the penalty spot to take his first penalty kick of the season in place of injured midfielder Leon Koehl. Griffith casually strode up to the ball but fired his shot very close to goalie Isaiah Goldson, making for an easy save. 

Later in the 49th minute, Michigan was also awarded a penalty. Bryce Blevins struck his shot with conviction, sending goalie Laurin Mack the wrong way and burying his kick in the left corner to put the Wolverines up 2-0. 

No. 2 Maryland men’s soccer (8-2-5, 5-1-2 Big Ten) fell to Michigan (7-3-5, 2-3-4 Big Ten) 2-0 putting an end to its 12-game unbeaten streak. The Terps came into the match just needing to win their final three games to secure the regular season Big Ten championship, but their quest for the title hit a roadblock in Ann Arbor.

Maryland entered the match perfect on penalties this season with Koehl scoring six from the spot. But the sophomore suffered an injury last match and will be out for an unknown amount of time. The Terps lacked the controlling presence of Koehl in the midfield and looked like a different team with him not on the pitch. 

In his absence, the squad’s joint leading scorer, Griffith, was named the penalty taker. He was unable to convert the penalty in the sixth minute though after Sadam Masereka drew the penalty on a counterattack. 

The Wolverines quickly made the Terps pay for the missed kick. In the 10th minute, Blevins delivered a driven cross into the box. Patrick O’Toole headed the ball off of defender Luca Costabile’s back and into the net for a goal. 

Maryland’s next shot on goal after the penalty didn’t come until the 42nd minute. Jameson Michel rolled a shot towards the bottom right corner that forced Goldson to lay out for a diving save.

Goldson was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season and delivered a clutch performance against the Terps, saving all nine Maryland shots on target. 

Max Rogers collided with a Michigan defender just over a minute into the match and was awarded a yellow card for the contact. Rogers’ jersey was ripped in the process, setting the tone for a physical contest that had 36 total fouls. 

Tensions boiled over as the half carried on. A hard tackle by Rocky Perez on Matias De Jesus led to a yellow card for Perez. Costabile was upset with the foul and started some shoving that led to him getting pushed to the ground by a Michigan player. 

The situation worsened for the Terps in the second half. The Wolverines were awarded a penalty in the 49th minute after Bjarne Thiesen was called for a handball in the box. Blevins converted his penalty to double the lead.

Maryland picked up the pace and pressed desperately for a goal after the Blevins score. The Terps attempted 21 shots in the match but could not deliver a goal. 

Griffith got behind the Michigan defense in the 64th minute for a one-on-one with Goldson but his shot banged against the post and bounced out. 

Despite a near-constant torrent of pressure the rest of the game, the Wolverines’ defense held strong and helped Michigan hand the Terps their first loss in conference play.

Maryland will look to bounce back on Tuesday against Rutgers (4-8-2, 1-5-1 Big Ten) at Yurcak Field.