No. 18 Maryland men’s soccer draws 0-0 with UCLA; remains unbeaten this season

UCLA received a free kick with four minutes left to go in a scoreless match. Sophomore goalkeeper Laurin Mack launched himself in front of the ball to ensure it could not get anywhere near the net, allowing Maryland to remain unbeaten. 

No. 18 Maryland men’s soccer (6-0-3, 2-0-2 Big Ten) tied UCLA (2-5-3, 2-2-1 Big Ten) 0-0 on Friday night at Wallis Annenberg Stadium on the West Coast. 

Only 13 minutes into the match, Maryland’s relentless forward duo took a look at the net. Sophomore Stephane Njike fed the ball to senior Sadam Masereka, looking to score the first goal of the match. The forward’s shot was too wide, however.

Tonight was Njike’s first match since receiving a red card on Sept. 23 against Penn State, causing the Long Island transfer to miss the Terps’ 4-1 victory over Northwestern last week.  

In the 37th minute, the sophomore also got a solid look at the net. Njike’s kick had the power, but not the accuracy, and graduate goalkeeper Kevin Box saved the shot in his first game with the Bruins.

After a scoreless first half, Maryland led UCLA in shots six to one, with one on goal. Although the Bruins found a way to regain possession of the ball consistently, the Terps became more aggressive with their strikes and found solid scoring opportunities, but were unable to convert.

“We had a couple of golden looks there,” head coach Sasho Cirovski said during halftime. “It’s gotta be better in the second half.”

Midfielder Leon Koehl gained strong possession of the ball in the 61st minute, powering through the Bruins defense. The junior found senior Matias de Jesus in scoring position and passed it to his fellow midfielder.

De Jesus took a shot on goal but was stopped by Box for his second save of the night.

The Bruins’ UCLA leading goal-scorer, redshirt freshman Sergi Solans Ormo, almost found the back of the net early into the second half, but the Terps’ defense held up. The forward was stopped by defenders Lasse Kelp and Tristen Rose, who ensured the Bruins remained scoreless. 

“Tonight showed what a great centre back pairing they are. They played against certainly one of the top strikers in the country,” Cirovski said. “I thought they handled him and managed him quite well.”

Kelp showcased his defensive skills once again in the 75th minute after sophomore forward Artem Vovk attempted to find the back of the net and score his second goal of the season.

Soon after, the Terps’ offense became gunned for a goal with three shots within 30 seconds. Shots by senior Luca Costabile and freshman Mateo Caride were blocked and followed by a shot by Masereka that missed to the right of the net. 

Maryland returns home next Friday to face No. 11 Michigan (6-1-2, 2-1-0 Big Ten) at Ludwig Field. The Terps have not defeated Michigan since 2022 after a loss and a tie in their previous two matches. The Wolverines made the Big Ten Tournament Final for the first time since 2019 last season, and have continued to excel this season.