Preview: No. 20 Maryland men’s soccer vs. No. 16 Wake Forest

No. 20 Maryland men’s soccer (1-1) has only played two games this season. But it’s already taken its fans on a wild ride of emotions. 

This was to be expected, however, as the roster saw tremendous amounts of change in the offseason with a large, star-studded freshman class entering College Park and a decorated collection of players bidding farewell. 

The roster losses were heaviest in the midfield, most notably midfielder Joshua Bolma. After a stellar sophomore season that earned him back-to-back First Team All-Big Ten honors, Bolma was drafted fourth overall in the MLS SuperDraft by the New England Revolution, where he has since already shown flashes of the large potential he displayed in College Park.

Additionally, the Terps lost key senior Malcom Johnston, another member of the All-Big Ten First Team a year ago. He excelled as an offensive-minded midfielder and leaves behind a gaping hole in production on that side of the pitch. 

However, coach Sasho Cirovski and his staff made sure to reload on the recruiting trail. They brought in multiple freshmen who have been thrust into the limelight early in the season. 

Forward Kimani Stewart-Baynes has already been thrust into a big role, which he has thrived in so far. Other pieces such as midfielders Jack McDaid, Kenny Quist-Therson, Leon Koehl and forward Luke van Heukelum all logged at least 85 minutes between the first two games. 

With returning pieces like senior forward Stefan Copetti and junior defender William Kulvik, the team’s expectations stayed lofty with a No. 14 ranking heading into the season.

The Terps began the season against then-unranked Missouri State, looking to start with a bang before a very tough stretch in their schedule. 

But Missouri State’s stalwart defense troubled the Terps all night en route to a 1-0 upset win at Ludwig Field. 

The game’s lone goal arrived 30 minutes into the contest, as a dangerous bouncing ball through the box from a corner found its way to senior midfielder Jack Denton, who made no mistake with the opportunity. 

The shot was one of a combined four between the two sides in the first half. 

Despite Maryland controlling possession for a majority of the second half, the squad was unable to level the game due to its inability to generate opportunities around Missouri State’s box. The Terps finished with just two shots in the game, one of them on goal. 

Following the upset loss, Maryland needed a win against then-No. 10 UNC Greensboro, who had also suffered a disappointing result in its previous game against California, which ended in a 1-1 tie. 

The Terps bounced back with a statement 2-0 win in their return to Ludwig Field. To the fans’ delight, the Terps were finally able to generate some offense, with redshirt junior Joe Suchecki and freshman Kimani Stewart-Baynes netting the team’s two goals. 

The Terps outshot the Spartans 11-9 in the game, with seven of the shots on target. Stefan Copetti spearheaded many of the Terps best opportunities with three shots, two of them on goal and an assist.

Stewart-Baynes showed tremendous promise throughout the match, as in addition to his first career goal, he assisted Suchecki. This notched the true freshman as the team leader in points with three.

Stewart Baynes did not deliver the only promising underclassman performance, however, as sophomore goalkeeper Mikah Seger dominated in his first career start. Seger tallied seven saves in the shutout win.

The Terps now look ahead to yet another top-20 matchup in Ludwig, this time against No. 16 Wake Forest (1-0-1). 

Securing a win will be a tough task against a group as well-coached as Bobby Muuss’s. The coach has led the Demon Deacons to tremendous amounts of success during his tenure, acquiring 130 wins since becoming head coach. 

Wake Forest will come to College Park with something to prove after drawing against California in its previous game. 

Despite the 1-1 tie, the Demon Deacons’ offense has certainly impressed so far, amassing 34 total shots in their first two matches. 

Headlining the offense is junior midfielder Babacar Niang, who leads the team in points with two goals. His presence on the ball could prove to be nightmarish for Maryland’s defense should he keep up his recent form. 

Whoever gets the start in net for the Terps will look to build on the performance by California, which was able to hold Wake Forest despite the Demon Deacons out-shooting them throughout the match. 

On the other side of the ball, Stewart-Baynes and Copetti will play a key role in this one as they attempt to be the first team to put multiple goals past the Wake Forest defense.

Should the Terps defeat Wake Forest, they will get themselves back over .500. Start time from Ludwig Field is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday.