Tied 1-1 entering the locker room, the pressure was on Maryland to find its offensive groove.
Midway through the second half, forward Hunter George danced with the ball on the left side of the goal, looking for an opportunity to score. The senior kicked a rocket off his left foot, right into the hands of Michigan goalkeeper Hayden Evans.
However, the ball ricocheted off of Evans’ chest, rolling right in front of forward Stefan Copetti, who tapped the ball in for the go-ahead score.
Copetti’s score gave the Terps the lead they needed to squeak out of Ann Arbor with a victory.
“[Copetti] deserved the goal,” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “He had two outstanding chances… I think he was rightfully rewarded for his good efforts and being in good spots.”
No. 8 Maryland men’s soccer battled against Michigan in its conference opener. After being tied at halftime, one goal was all the Terps needed to down the Wolverines, 2-1.
The win improved Maryland to 4-1-1.
Michigan put the pressure on Maryland early with three corner kicks through the first ten minutes of action.
Michigan defender Jason Bucknor proved to be very active in the opening stages of the game, breaking up passes and drawing a foul on Luca Costabile in the 17th minute.
The Wolverines saw some light in the 21st minute when forward Nicholas Kaloukian broke free in transition. However, three Maryland defenders surrounded him on the breakaway. Maryland defender William Kulvik tripped Kaloukian and a yellow card was thrown onto the field.
The ball continued to go back and forth throughout the first half, with Michigan forcing Maryland’s defense to remain on its toes. However, neither side could create an advantage on the scoreboard.
“In the first half, Michigan made it difficult for us,” Cirovski said. “They were very compact and we just were not very mobile… we played too much into their hands.”
In the 23rd minute, midfielder Kevin Buca looked to create some offense for the Wolverines with two consecutive shot attempts. Stellar defense by Maryland defender Chris Rindov and goalkeeper Jamie Lowell, however, prevented Buca from finding the back of the net.
Lowell, who stepped in for injured senior Niklas Neumann, performed admirably throughout the match, allowing just one goal compared to five saves.
“I thought he was great,” Cirovski said. “As I’ve said all along from the beginning, I think we have two terrific goalkeepers. I consider them both starters”
After recording 10 first half shot attempts against Georgetown last Saturday, the Terps had just three through the first 30 minutes of play in Ann Arbor. However, Maryland struck gold on a George free kick.
The forward kicked the ball high in the direction of defender Chris Rindov, and the senior masterfully headed the ball along its path to the net. The ball soared over the hands of Evans for a goal, giving the Terps a 1-0 lead.
In true back-and-forth fashion, Michigan forward Inaki Rodriguez found the back of the net just two minutes later to knot the score at one apiece.
Rindov paid the price for a costly mistake just moments after scoring his second goal of the season, as he placed the ball right in front of Rodriguez, who kicked the ball through the back of the net for a score.
With two minutes left in the first half, Bucknor, who had arguably been Michigan’s most impactful player, exited the match with a lower body injury. He walked off the field on his own power but was attended to by Wolverine trainers.
Although Michigan seemed to be the better team through the first 45 minutes, hounding the Terps defensively and pressuring the goal offensively, both teams entered the locker rooms with more work to do in the second half of a 1-1 match.
Maryland came into the second half more aggressive, clearly making a conscious effort to keep the ball near Michigan’s goal. The Terps recorded three shot attempts through the first ten minutes of the second half after having just four the entire first half.
However, Maryland still failed to get the ball on target, with no shots on goal until Coppeti’s attempt in the 63rd minute.
The forward continued to look for his shot following his first attempt, as his second was off target just a few minutes later. A third shot attempt in the 67th minute put the Terps ahead 2-1, as Evans bobbled George’s shot and gave Copetti a golden chance to record his first goal as a Terp.
Following Copetti’s goal, neither team found the back of the net again as both defenses buckled down.
The Terps left Ann Arbor with a 2-1 victory, improving their win streak to three and starting off conference play on the right note.
“We’ve typically gotten off to slow starts in many of the years in the Big Ten, and getting the win — especially on the road in a tough venue — I think is very big,” Cirovski said.
Maryland will return home for a Tuesday night matchup with No. 22 Penn State as it continues conference play. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM at Ludwig Field.
