In the 42nd minute of action, two Maryand defenders hounded Virginia freshman Andy Sullins and stole the ball.
Maryland defender Alex Nitzl then rifled the ball upfield to a sprinting German Giammattei, who crossed up his defender, dropped the ball through a tight window of two Cavalier defenders, and perfectly set up midfielder Justin Harris for a goal.
The Terps never looked back, routing Virginia 6-1.
The win improved the Terps to 2-1-1 on the young season.
No. 9 Maryland men’s soccer battled against Virginia in a neutral site match at Audi Field Monday evening.
The match was physical from the very start, as both teams struggled to string together possessions due to the defensive intensity.
In the opening stages of the match, Virginia forward Philip Horton knocked Maryland defender Luca Costabile to the ground. The Terp freshman got back up and started to jaw at Horton, but the altercation was quickly broken up.
That brief moment seemed to dictate the tension in the stadium for the rest of the match.
Neither team created much separation through the first 20 minutes, until Maryland midfielder Malcolm Johnston kicked one right through the back of the net on a penalty kick to put the Terps ahead 1-0.
Maryland had a chance to go up by two in the 24th minute as the Terps had a four-on-one breakaway, but midfielder Griffin Dillon mishandled the pass and the ball rolled out of bounds.
The Cavaliers struggled to generate much offense in the first period, epitomized by junior forward Leo Afonso’s wide open shot attempt sailing over the net in the 31st minute.
Maryland’s stifling defense was the story of the first half, as Virginia only notched six shot attempts and zero shots on goal. Virginia also was assessed an astonishing 12 fouls through the first 45 minutes of action, allowing Maryland multiple easy opportunities to build momentum.
Prior to this game against Maryland, Virginia averaged 14 fouls per game through the first three matches of the season.
The Terps capped off a strong first half with a goal by senior midfielder Justin Harris.
The Cavaliers attempted to make a statement coming out of the gates in the second half. Junior midfielder Isaiah Byrd nearly knocked one through the back of the net, but the ball missed just wide right.
Maryland’s pestering defense continued in the second half, as Virginia continued to struggle creating offense.
In the 54th minute, the Cavaliers saw their best chance to score yet. A Luca Costabile foul set up an Afonso penalty kick. However, Maryland goalkeeper Niklas Neumann made a diving save to keep Virginia scoreless.
Maryland broke the match open in the 60th minute. One minute after checking into the game, redshirt sophomore forward Joshua Bolma kicked a high-arching ball towards the goal, and senior defender Chris Rindov headed the ball in for a score.
Less than five minutes later, midfielder Griffin Dillon kicked one off his right foot to the left of the outstretched Holden Brown for another Maryland goal. Bolma recorded his second assist in a quick five minute span since entering the game.
It was the first goal of the sophomore’s career.
The scoring continued in the 76th minute as Bolma knocked one in from close range off of a Nick Richardson assist.
Bolma finished the match with two assists and one goal in just 18 minutes of action. A stellar performance for a player coming off an injury from the prior game, especially considering he was a gametime decision before kickoff.
Virginia finally got on the scoreboard in the 81st minute when midfielder Daniel Mangarov knocked one in with his left foot. However, it would be too little, too late for the Cavaliers as they still trailed 5-1.
The Terps capped off a marvelous night of soccer by extending their lead back to five in the 83rd minute. Graduate forward German Giammattei scored from within five feet of the goal, securing the Terps’ second win of the season.
The Terps leave Audi Field with their first win since August 25, improving above .500. They will look to earn their third win of the season when they take on No. 19 Georgetown on Saturday.
