Terps go 1-1 in big week before well deserved time off

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!