Preview: Maryland men’s soccer vs. Navy

Maryland men’s soccer team (3-7-3) looks to get back in the win column in a showdown in College Park in its final home regular season match of the season versus Navy (5-6-4) on Tuesday. 

But the Terps’ attention will likely be elsewhere during their own contest as their game means nothing compared to the result of a Big Ten matchup that could potentially decide their season. 

No. 20 Michigan State will have some additional fans watching its home game on Tuesday night, as Maryland needs the Spartans to at least tie against Ohio State for the Terps to have a chance to get into the Big Ten tournament. 

Maryland is still two points behind the Buckeyes in the standings with both sides facing off in their final match of the season on Sunday. Should Ohio State beat Michigan State, the game will become meaningless, as Maryland will go down an insurmountable five points. 

The Terps will likely find out whether they will have a chance at the postseason during halftime of their own matchup since the Buckeyes’ match will start at 6 p.m., an hour earlier than their own.

Despite the team’s dependence on the Spartans, coach Sasho Cirovski is not concerning himself with the result of the other game, instead focusing on the match now in front of him.

“We’re just prepared for Navy at this point,” Cirovski said. “[We’ll] see what happens on Tuesday night and see how meaningful the game is next Sunday.”

Maryland will be heading into the outing against Navy looking to recapture momentum after a tough loss at the hands of Indiana. The Hoosiers scored a late game-winner for a 2-1 victory. 

The Terps felt the loss in large part was due to their slow start offensively. They fell behind early in the second half before Stefan Copetti was able to equalize, but Copetti felt the response came late. 

“Shouldn’t take a goal from the other team to push us to push for a goal,” Copetti said.

Maryland did improve offensively in the second half though, logging seven shots compared to its two in the first half. 

The improvement may have been a result of the coaching changes Cirovski made, coming out with four forwards in the second half. The forwards — Copetti, Max Riley, Luke van Heukelum and Kimani Stewart-Baynes — have had a great connection in the last couple matches when on the field together and are a big reason for the Terps’ offensive resurgence late in the season.

Look for Maryland to use this lineup again versus Navy should it feel the need for the extra offense.

For Navy, this year has seen unprecedented balance from both sides of the ball. Each offense and defense have scored and allowed the same number of goals at 22, while it also has shot and given up the same number of shots at 191. 

David Jackson will be the name to know for the Midshipmen offense; the midfielder has put up a prolific 21 points this season. No one else on the team has more than ten, making him the key figure to watch for the Terps’ defense. Should they shut them down, it could be the key to winning.  

For the Maryland seniors, it will likely be the last time they take the field at Ludwig in front of their home crowd, possibly making for an emotional night in addition to the overbearing implications the Ohio State game has. 

Kickoff between the two sides will be at 7 p.m. on Ludwig Field.