Maryland men’s soccer prepares for its biggest test of the season, as it takes on Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday.
The winner of the match will take on No. 14-seed Cornell on Sunday.
The Terps did not receive a first-round bye after being ousted by Indiana in the Big Ten Semifinals last week. However, they still have one more chance to redeem themselves in front of the home crowd, hosting the final match of the season at Ludwig Field.
Although losing in the second round to the Hoosiers was a disappointment –– Maryland hasn’t reached the Big Ten Championship since 2017 –– there were positives to take away from the match.
The Terps allowed zero shots in the second half after allowing five in the first, including two goals just five minutes apart. In addition, opportunities were plentiful in the final 45 minutes, as Chris Rindov and Stefan Copetti headers were just inches away from tying the score at two.
Redshirt senior Nick Richardson, one of the leaders of the defense and the team as a whole, is looking forward to correcting the first half lapses against the Knights.
“Defending is 50% mental,” Richardson said. “You definitely have to be mentally connected for a full 90 minutes. As we’ve seen, scoring usually follows scoring.”
Another positive from the second round exit was having over a week to rest and recover before the NCAA Tournament. The Terps haven’t played since last Wednesday, giving the team seven full days of rest.
“I think it’s huge,” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “One advantage of losing the semis in your conference … is you get a couple of days to rest, recover, reflect and prepare. And I think we’ve done all those things.”
Fairleigh Dickinson last played on Sunday, taking the trophy in the NEC Tournament. The Knights only get three days of rest, less than half the amount of their opponent.
The Terps are very familiar with NEC opponents in the first round of the tournament. Maryland lost 1-0 to LIU in 2021, who had also won the conference championship prior.
The Knights, although ranked nearly 30 spots below Maryland in RPI, are a stout defensive team with nine total shutouts on the year. Their goalkeeper, Spencer King, was named NEC Goalkeeper of the Year and ranks top-10 in the nation with a .824 save percentage.
Midfielder Jordan Alonge is the offensive leader for FDU, posting a ridiculous 46 shot attempts on the year to go with four goals and two assists. Maryland will have to contain the senior if it wants a chance of advancing to the next round.
The Terps will be without midfielder Griffin Dillon, suspended for one game after picking up a red card against Indiana. Cirovski has raved about Dillon’s impact on the game in recent weeks, playing full 90 minutes and making his presence felt up and down the field
“You’ll notice we’ve got players who can rotate the midfield,” Cirovski said. “There’s been players waiting for the opportunity and some will get it.”
Maryland now enters a win-or-go-home situation, something it hasn’t dealt with yet this season. As the stakes rise, however, the expectations and preparation remain the same.
“I don’t think the pressure changes,” Richardson said. “But it’s more of something you’re just a little bit more jittery, a little bit more excited for.”
The match is set to kickoff at 6 p.m. and will take place at Ludwig Field in College Park.
