No. 20 Maryland men’s soccer draws No. 16 Wake Forest, 0-0

Kento Abe made a nifty move into the box in the 72nd minute before getting his legs taken out from under him by Garrison Tubbs. The referee pointed to the spot as he pulled out the yellow card from his pocket.

Maryland’s senior leader Stefan Copetti stepped up to the spot, a hush hanging over Ludwig Field as he ran up and struck the ball towards the bottom left corner. Wake Forest goalkeeper Trace Alphin stepped up to plate, stretching for an unbelievable save to keep the game scoreless.

That was the story of the second half in this one, as No. 20 Maryland men’s soccer (1-1-1) was unable to capitalize on its countless opportunities in a 0-0 draw with No. 16 Wake Forest (1-0-2).

Both sides came out with an emphasis on physicality, with an abundance of dangerous tackles and chippy exchanges occurring through the entirety of the first half. 

This led to both benches being riled up on numerous occasions, as each side forced multiple dangerous free kicks. None would prove fruitful, however, as each defense was able to easily thwart all crosses into the box.

The first yellow card of the match was awarded to freshman midfielder Jack McDaid after a dangerous late slide tackle, which forced him off the field just six minutes after coming on.

Wake Forest junior midfielder Roald Mitchell narrowly missed the first big chance of the game after a dangerous cross made its way to him through the Maryland box. Senior goalkeeper Jamie Lowell could only watch as Mitchell’s shot bounced just inches wide of the bottom right corner.

As the half went on, it seemed as though Wake Forest had the advantage as it spent the majority of the time on its own attacking half, but the Demon Deacons could not string together the final pass with the sides deadlocked, 0-0.

Despite the Demon Deacons’ possession of the ball, Maryland still had its fair share of opportunities. The Terps reached inside the Demon Deacons’ box on multiple occasions, but like Wake Forest were unable to take the final shot.

It was an uneventful first half for both goalkeepers, as neither side recorded a single shot on goal. Instead, the defenses reigned supreme, forcing turnover after turnover whenever a team began to look threatening. 

This came at a price, though, as the chippiness continued throughout the entirety of the first half. Both sides combined for 17 fouls, giving the referee the difficult task of keeping the game under control as both sides continued to search for their first goal.

The second half began with much of the same chippiness displayed in the first half, as the tensions mounted between the two teams.

Sophomore forward Max Riley generated Maryland’s first true chance of the game by winning a free kick on the right wing. Riley got a chance to capitalize on his own created opportunity with a header, but he narrowly missed over the bar.

The momentum began to shift in Maryland’s favor as it got another free header right in front of the net courtesy of senior defender Bjarne Thiesen. Like Riley, he would put it over the bar, despite being within the 6 yard box. 

Thiesen made up for the missed header minutes later. Wake Forest senior midfielder Hosei Kijima made a few nifty moves inside the box, opening himself up for what seemed to certainly be the game’s first shot on goal. But Thiesen jumped in front of the shot at the last second, deflecting it with his back to keep the game scoreless.

Maryland continued to ramp up the intensity offensively, as in the 68th minute it created a massive chance inside the box with a ground cross meeting the foot of senior midfielder Justin Harris inside the six yard box. Wake Forest’s junior goalkeeper Trace Alphin’s quick reaction kept the Demon Deacons in the game, however, as the keeper made the crucial save.

The Demon Deacons weren’t out of the woods yet, as Riley received the deflection still inside the box. The forward was unable to capitalize, sending the ball over the goal. 

Maryland continued its assault right up until the final minute of the game, with sophomore defender Luca Costabile launching a rocket from outside the box with 20 seconds to go. But the shot rose just over the bar, ending the game in a 0-0 draw. 

Maryland held Wake Forest to no shots on goal, giving Lowell a nice break from the usual action he receives.

On the other hand, the Terps put three shots on goal, outshooting the Demon Deacons 10-7 in total shots thanks to their dominant hold over possession in the second half.