No. 9 Maryland men’s soccer (1-0-1) looks for its second win of the season on Friday night as the Terps take on No. 20 Denver (2-0) in a top-20 matchup.
The match will be the Terps’ third of the season thus far, all at home.
After defeating New Hampshire in the season opener on August 25, the Terps squandered an opportunity on Sunday against Liberty to move to 2-0.
Maryland recorded 16 shots in the match while Liberty only recorded 2, but the Terps were not able to capitalize on the large advantage. The Terps and the Flames finished in a 1-1 draw.
Liberty’s Bryce Swinehart got the scoring started in the 15th minute with a shot to the top right corner of the goal off a free kick.
Maryland’s lone goal came in the 30th minute by William Kulvik, tying the score at one apiece.
Kulvik’s goal would be the final of the match, as the contest was a defensive showcase the rest of the way, finishing in a 1-1 tie.
Kulvik has had a great start to the season, his second in College Park. The sophomore scored his first career goal against Liberty, and was also named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performances against New Hampshire and Liberty.
As a rookie, Kulvik played in 15 matches (10 starts) and was an All-Big Ten Freshman Team selection.
Other Terps to watch for in this game are forward Hunter George and midfield/forward Joshua Bolma.
George, a senior, scored a goal in the season opener against New Hampshire and registered four shot attempts (three shots on goal) against Liberty. Bolma, a redshirt sophomore, was the 2021 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, but has gotten off to a slow start this season with just one assist and no goals.
Denver enters undefeated with wins over Gonzaga and Grand Canyon. The Pioneers enter Ludwig Field as part of a five-game road trip spanning across two weeks.
In the Pioneers’ opening match of the season against Gonzaga, second-half goals from midfielder Aidan O’Toole and forward Ian Smith carried Denver to a 3-1 victory.
Against Grand Canyon on Tuesday, midfielder Sam Bassett got the scoring started for the Pioneers in the 24th minute, but the Lopes tied things up just ten minutes later.
After over 50 minutes of scoreless soccer, Smith’s game-winning goal in the 86th minute provided Denver with a 2-1 win.
Smith and Bassett enter Friday’s match tied for the team lead in goals (2).
The lone matchup between Maryland and Denver came in 2018, when the Terps won a defensive battle in College Park by a final of 1-0.
The match on Friday will start at 7:30 p.m. and will take place at Ludwig Field in College Park.
