Certainly was an interesting weekend for Maryland sports, wasn't it? With the entire athletic department running out of North Carolina for the weekend, we learned a lot about some of the fall sports teams. The field hockey team is without a doubt the best team in the country, as they tallied a big win against the #2 team in the country, UNC; also, the football team is most likely not going to a bowl game this year, because in order to do so, they would need wins at home against V-Tech and on the road against FSU. Out of all the fall sports teams, I think we learned the most about the men's soccer team, who lost a 1-0 battle against the 3rd ranked Wake Forest Demon Deacons.
Coming into the game against the Deacons, the Terps were on an unstoppable tear, winning 5 games in a row. Yet, game after game, we saw more and more starters head to the sidelines. With Casey Townsend, Doug Rodkey, and Alex Lee all out, it didn't make sense that the Terps kept winning. Cirovski had the team overachieving with younger players in the lineup. Despite the loss of so many key players, the Terps had been doing surprisingly well.
All that good feeling came to a screeching halt on Saturday night when Maryland gave up the first place spot in the ACC to Wake Forest, whose 1-0 victory over the Terps had major post season implications. So why did I say that we learned a lot about the men's soccer team this weekend? Simply because it finally became clear that this team is tired after eight straight weeks of soccer with minimal time off; they are demoralized, considering they had three starters injured coming into the game, and defender Ethan White joined them during the game, as he limped off the field midway through the first half; and finally, this team was really looking forward to having some time off between the Wake game and the Virginia game.
After talking to Cirovski after the loss, it was clear that this team has had a rather long past few weeks, and although they've had a lot of success on the field, they've been hurting everywhere else.
"[The Wake loss] is really a tough one to take," said Cirovski. "I feel for our guys. A lot of guys are battling through a lot of stuff right now, and that was a gutsy performance. We basically played that game without four starters."
While the Coach was certainly disappointed following the loss, he definitely did not seem angry or frustrated. Based on my impressions, Cirovski seemed to be very realistic about the state of his team right now. With four starters out, and numerous young players being thrown into the proverbial fire, on the road, in a big-game atmosphere, one could only expect an outcome like Saturday night's.
"It's tough; there's no other way around [putting the younger players into the game]," said Cirovski. "They're going to be a little inconsistent in coming out, but it will all serve a purpose eventually."
The week off truly could not have come at a better time for the Terps. Cirovski alluded to the fact that they are looking to get at least two of their injured players back into the lineup, and this time off will be highly valuable in assessing what their capabilities are going to be going forward. More importantly, for the guys that are healthy in body, but maybe not in spirit, the week before the Virginia game is a time to rejuvenate themselves and get ready for the home stretch.
"We're looking forward to a few days off," said Cirovski. "We're going to try and get their legs back and their freshness back."
Before I get out of here, I'll offer my own personal outlook on the state of the team after the Wake game. With so many key starters out, it's hard to expect the team to be successful on the road against an elite team like the Demon Deacons. I know, its frustrating to lose a game 1-0, especially when Wake's goal came on a penalty kick, and Maryland had a ton of opportunities to tie it up (most notably London Woodberry's misfire at the end of the first half, and the numerous corner kicks at the end of the second half). But in reality, to play such a close game with a team like Wake, at their stadium, without 4 starters is no small feat. The team should be proud of their effort, not dwell on the loss and get ready for the Cavaliers.
Enjoy the week off. We'll see you on Saturday for UVA!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Terps on a roll as the post-season looms
In what was a dismal weekend for Maryland football and a great weekend for Marylands soccer, anyone with doubts about whether they should spend their time following football or fútbol should have their answer. As the Terps chances of acquiring a bowl bid were effectively squashed with an embarrassing loss to UVA on Saturday afternoon, it is now officially time to give all our attention to a soccer team that is absolutely rolling right now. After two losses in a row following the UNC win, the Terps are now on a four game winning streak. And with four of their last five regular season games at home, head coach Sasho Cirovski's club could be looking at a 9-0 or 9-1 end to the regular season. Not too shabby, eh?
Before I get to any more talk about soccer, I want to express my wishes for a speedy recovery for starting defender Alex Lee, who was struck by a car in Washington a little more than a week ago. Fortunately, it was reported that Lee underwent successful surgery on his head at George Washington University hospital and we can only pray that his road to recovery is an easy one.
With that injury in mind, it is even more impressive that the Terps have won their past four games. It's hard enough to win four games in a row in the ACC, simply due to the level of competition; I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been for the players to focus with one of their teammates in the hospital. Bravo to Cirovski for keeping this team on track. It's been an emotional couple of weeks for Maryland soccer when you couple what happened to Lee along with the death of Mr. Maryland, longtime athletic booster Jack Heise. I am sure it has been a struggle for Cirovski to focus his players on winning games, but it certainly seems as if he has been successful.
In looking down the rest of the schedule, I truly believe that Maryland could finish the season on a nine game winning streak. Without a doubt, Maryland is playing some of their best soccer of the season right now. So, why can't the Terps "protect their house" in their final four home games, and steal one on the road in what amounts to a toss up at Wake Forest? If this scenario plays out, Maryland will have all the momentum in the world as they roar into the post season.
The Terps return home from their win over Clemson on the road to take on Seton Hall this Tuesday night at Ludwig Field. We'll see you there!
Before I get to any more talk about soccer, I want to express my wishes for a speedy recovery for starting defender Alex Lee, who was struck by a car in Washington a little more than a week ago. Fortunately, it was reported that Lee underwent successful surgery on his head at George Washington University hospital and we can only pray that his road to recovery is an easy one.
With that injury in mind, it is even more impressive that the Terps have won their past four games. It's hard enough to win four games in a row in the ACC, simply due to the level of competition; I can't even imagine how difficult it must have been for the players to focus with one of their teammates in the hospital. Bravo to Cirovski for keeping this team on track. It's been an emotional couple of weeks for Maryland soccer when you couple what happened to Lee along with the death of Mr. Maryland, longtime athletic booster Jack Heise. I am sure it has been a struggle for Cirovski to focus his players on winning games, but it certainly seems as if he has been successful.
In looking down the rest of the schedule, I truly believe that Maryland could finish the season on a nine game winning streak. Without a doubt, Maryland is playing some of their best soccer of the season right now. So, why can't the Terps "protect their house" in their final four home games, and steal one on the road in what amounts to a toss up at Wake Forest? If this scenario plays out, Maryland will have all the momentum in the world as they roar into the post season.
The Terps return home from their win over Clemson on the road to take on Seton Hall this Tuesday night at Ludwig Field. We'll see you there!
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Stertzer's goal brings Terps to 3-1-1 in ACC play
First of all, I'd like to apologize to all the Terp faithful for the lack of blog entries over the past week. It was a busy week for those of us at Maryland with mid-term examinations throughout the entire week. Enough with my lame excuses though; we've got a lot of soccer to discuss!
Last time I spoke with all of you, the Terps were in the midst of a 1 game losing streak because of a loss at George Mason. Although I tried to hide it in my last entry (Top 3 reasons you should (not) be concerned about last night's loss), I felt that the Terps would bounce back from their loss against the Colonials, beat Duke, then come home and coast for a few games until their ACC showdown with Wake Forest. Alas, I was wrong, and the Terps got beat up by a good Duke team down in Durham. Ultimately, I think that the mini-two game losing streak was just a case of a young team that had played way better than expected all season finally coming back down to Earth. Head coach Sasho Cirovski talked in the pre-season about the potential for growing pains throughout the season, and that two game stretch proved Cirovski right.
Nonetheless, the Terps definitely got back on track during the past two games. After an out of conference win, the Hokies of Virginia Tech came to Ludwig field for Maryland's 5th ACC contest of the season. Over the course of the first 87 minutes of the game, Maryland simply could not convert on offense. The opportunities were there, but it was one of those nights where something seemed a little bit off on offense. I think some of that might have had to do with getting Casey Townsend back into the lineup. Townsend was definitely shaking off some rust, and going down 1-0 early in the game only put additional pressure on him to score.
One of the things I talked about in my last blog entry was the fact that without Townsend in the lineup, the Terps really struggled to score, evidenced by the fact that they were shutout two games in a row. I was especially concerned that Cirovski couldn't find anyone off the bench to give the team a little extra firepower on offense. The Virginia Tech game served to soothe some of those concerns, thanks to freshman John Stertzer scoring the game winning goal with 52 seconds left on the clock. Although it was not Stertzer's first goal, it was his first meaningful goal (the first time he scored was during the Duquesne blowout). Scoring in a crucial spot like he did is monumental for Stertzer's confidence, and I hope that if a starter goes down in the future, Terps fans can expect Stertzer to put some balls in the back of the net on a more consistent basis.
Despite Stertzer's game winning goal, the Player of the Game for me was undoubtedly Drew Yates. I wish I had recorded my comments to the other fans in the stands during the game, just so I could count how many times I said that Yates' play was keeping Maryland in the game. Countless times in the second half Yates possessed the ball, dribbled down the field, and either ripped a shot or got stuffed by opposing defenders just outside the 18. But on a night where no one else could get anything going on offense, Yates' play put pressure on the Hokie's defense. And as all soccer fans know, the more pressure you put on an opposing defense, the more likely you'll ultimately find a gap in the defense and get a goal. Yates' continued pressure kept Maryland offensively alert and limited Virginia Tech's time on offense. Major kudos to Mr. Yates for what I thought was an outstanding performance.
Next up for the Terps are the Georgetown Hoyas on the 13th. Enjoy the trip to DC!
Last time I spoke with all of you, the Terps were in the midst of a 1 game losing streak because of a loss at George Mason. Although I tried to hide it in my last entry (Top 3 reasons you should (not) be concerned about last night's loss), I felt that the Terps would bounce back from their loss against the Colonials, beat Duke, then come home and coast for a few games until their ACC showdown with Wake Forest. Alas, I was wrong, and the Terps got beat up by a good Duke team down in Durham. Ultimately, I think that the mini-two game losing streak was just a case of a young team that had played way better than expected all season finally coming back down to Earth. Head coach Sasho Cirovski talked in the pre-season about the potential for growing pains throughout the season, and that two game stretch proved Cirovski right.
Nonetheless, the Terps definitely got back on track during the past two games. After an out of conference win, the Hokies of Virginia Tech came to Ludwig field for Maryland's 5th ACC contest of the season. Over the course of the first 87 minutes of the game, Maryland simply could not convert on offense. The opportunities were there, but it was one of those nights where something seemed a little bit off on offense. I think some of that might have had to do with getting Casey Townsend back into the lineup. Townsend was definitely shaking off some rust, and going down 1-0 early in the game only put additional pressure on him to score.
One of the things I talked about in my last blog entry was the fact that without Townsend in the lineup, the Terps really struggled to score, evidenced by the fact that they were shutout two games in a row. I was especially concerned that Cirovski couldn't find anyone off the bench to give the team a little extra firepower on offense. The Virginia Tech game served to soothe some of those concerns, thanks to freshman John Stertzer scoring the game winning goal with 52 seconds left on the clock. Although it was not Stertzer's first goal, it was his first meaningful goal (the first time he scored was during the Duquesne blowout). Scoring in a crucial spot like he did is monumental for Stertzer's confidence, and I hope that if a starter goes down in the future, Terps fans can expect Stertzer to put some balls in the back of the net on a more consistent basis.
Despite Stertzer's game winning goal, the Player of the Game for me was undoubtedly Drew Yates. I wish I had recorded my comments to the other fans in the stands during the game, just so I could count how many times I said that Yates' play was keeping Maryland in the game. Countless times in the second half Yates possessed the ball, dribbled down the field, and either ripped a shot or got stuffed by opposing defenders just outside the 18. But on a night where no one else could get anything going on offense, Yates' play put pressure on the Hokie's defense. And as all soccer fans know, the more pressure you put on an opposing defense, the more likely you'll ultimately find a gap in the defense and get a goal. Yates' continued pressure kept Maryland offensively alert and limited Virginia Tech's time on offense. Major kudos to Mr. Yates for what I thought was an outstanding performance.
Next up for the Terps are the Georgetown Hoyas on the 13th. Enjoy the trip to DC!
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