When Maryland men’s soccer head coach Sasho Cirovski envisioned this season’s squad being his deepest in years, Monday’s 6-0 thrashing against Saint Francis embodied that sentiment.
Seven of the Terps’ 12 roster additions saw playing time, and all made vital contributions. Lasse Kelp, Tristen Rose, Stephane Njike and Mateo Caride earned the starting nod, with Caride making the first of his college career.
That assortment of new pieces combined for two goals, four assists and generated 12 of Maryland’s
30 shots. Kelp and Rose solidified the heart of the Terps’ backline, leading the charge for the team’s second shutout of the season.
Maryland’s returning depth also shined in the triumphant victory. After a slow start, Cirovski turned to his bench in hopes of getting a spark. Matias De Jesus and Luke van Heukelum rose to the occasion, making dangerous runs behind the backline and finding good positions in the box to score two goals and dish out three assists.
With some time to recover from a game-heavy slate, the Terps will be fresh heading into Saturday’s contest against Pacific. The game will start at 7 p.m. and stream on Big Ten Plus.
Pacific Tigers (1-2, 0-0 West Coast Conference)
2024 record: 4-8-4, 2-5-1 West Coast Conference
Pacific hired head coach Adam Reeves in 2019 with high hopes after his successful spell at Division II Cal Poly Pomona. Prior to his tenure, the Tigers had reached the second round in three straight NCAA Tournaments. Now in his seventh year with Pacific, Reeves has yet to deliver those promises with just one winning season and no tournament appearances.
Last season was a perfect example of his rocky time at the top level of collegiate soccer. The Tigers won two of their first three games and closed the season with consecutive victories. But in between those two stretches is when disappointment set in. Pacific went winless for 11 games, with seven losses and four draws.
The Tigers’ 2025 campaign has not gotten off to a better start, though. Their lone win this season came their last time out at home against Utah Tech. With the panic button pressed, Reeves is on the hot seat to right the ship.
Players to watch
Luca Baltzer, senior midfielder, No. 10 — Baltzer is Pacific’s do-it-all player in the center of the pitch, and one of the top midfielders in the conference. His impact may not be noticeable on a statsheet, but his work ethic on and off the ball is why he earned All-WCC second team honors last season. Baltzer also produced a goal and two assists.
Jacob Heisner, senior defender, No. 2 — The Tigers relied on a five-man backline last year to hold down the fort. Heisner was an integral part of their stellar defense and is one of two returners from that unit. Selected as an All-WCC honorable mention, he figures to remain a staple in Pacific’s center back trio.
Mateus Ruiz-Herst, junior goalkeeper, No. 1 — The California native was thrown into the starting role this season after not touching the field in 2024. Ruiz-Herst has been up to the challenge through three games. He has made 15 saves and allowed six goals for a save percentage of .714.
Strength
Goal prevention. Outside of Pacific’s 4-0 defeat to Houston Christian, the defense has kept the team afloat, counteracting its murky offense. That was the case last season as well. The Tigers’ record may not have suggested it, but they were in nearly every game in 2024. Fourteen of Pacific’s 16 contests were decided by two goals or less and they were 1-5 in one-goal games.
Weakness
Shot efficiency. While the Tigers’ attack has only generated two scores in the first three games, they’ve had plenty of chances to tack on more goals. Pacific has fired 13 shots on frame, including eight in its two losses. The Tigers have scored on 7.7% of their shots and 15.4% of their competitive looks — both subpar numbers.
Three things to watch
1. Who starts at center forward? Van Heukelum started the first two games of the season but failed to make much of an impact. He registered two shots in a combined 86 minutes of play. However, he played his best soccer off the bench on Monday, totalling a pair of goals on two shots.
Cirovski opted to start Caride up front in the last contest and the freshman scored his first career goal when the game was out of reach. That was his only shot of the game, though.
When Colin Griffith is back in the fold, he figures to be the team’s starting center forward. Until he returns from injury, either van Heukelum or Caride will collect his starting minutes.
2. Homestand conclusion. Saturday’s contest will wrap up Maryland’s three-game homestand. The Terps are aiming to finish with a winning record in this stretch before Big Ten play starts.
3. Leon Koehl’s return. Koehl made his first start of the season on Monday and saw limited action. While he is still working his way back to full fitness, his presence is calming for a team that will likely be without Joseph Umberto Picotto for an undisclosed amount of time.
