No. 23 Maryland men’s soccer’s Leon Koehl and Joseph Umberto Picotto have shared the pitch for just 15 minutes this season. An illness kept Umberto Picotto out of the lineup for four matches, while Koehl missed the first game recovering from injury. The duo’s absences never overlapped.
But with Stephane Njike’s red card on Tuesday, head coach Sasho Cirovski was forced to utilize the midfield pairing in Maryland’s Big Ten home opener against Northwestern. The lineup change resulted in a formation switchup
from the Terps’ conventional 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1.
It didn’t matter, though.
After a grueling 2-2 stalemate earlier this week, the Terps pounced on a flurry of first-half chances. Two scores, separated by just over a minute of gametime, fueled Maryland to a 4-1 victory Friday night.
Albi Ndrenika usually sits as the Terps’ attacking midfielder, but the senior drifted to the left flank in the revamped starting lineup. Sadam Masereka roamed the opposite wing, and his blazing speed caused problems all night.
However, Northwestern started the game on the front foot. Defender Bryant Mayer banged a shot off the far post in the ninth minute and midfielder Doug Hainer had his close-range effort denied by Laurin Mack.
But Maryland settled in from that point on. The Terps worked the ball around the pitch with crisp passing and broke through the Wildcats’ backline on a few occasions. Despite dominating the possession battle, Maryland had no quality chances to show for outside of Rocket Ritarita’s first minute shot that was comfortably saved.
That changed in the 30th minute. Masereka was the recipient of a perfectly weighted ball over the top, and his quick pace gained a sliver of separation from his defender. A reckless slide tackle took Masereka down in the box, and Koehl buried the penalty to the goalkeeper’s right — just past his outstretched arms.
The Terps weren’t done just yet. Eighty seconds later, Luca Costabile played a ball down the left wing and the ball evaded an errant slide tackle. Ndrenika had acres of space to work with and took his time, before firing his shot into the far post netting. Maryland’s 2-0 lead remained intact for a short while.
In the 36th minute, forward Italo Addimandi delivered a ball into the box and forward Omar Jallow chested it. The ball flew off the boot of midfielder Peter Riesz for Northwestern’s lone goal of the game.
Riesz’s volley gave Northwestern the momentum heading into the break. It didn’t last long, though.
The Terps kept their foot on the gas pedal early on in the second half, and it paid off in the 64th minute.
Albi Ndrenika whipped in an inswinging cross to Luke van Heukelum. The center forward had his header denied by Northwestern goalie Joseu Hangi, but the ball didn’t go far. From five yards out, Masereka contorted his body and executed a beautiful bicycle for Maryland’s third goal.
While the Terps worked without Njike for the entirety of the night due to his red card, Northwestern had its own suspensions to deal with. The Wildcats’ typical starting goalie Rafael Ponce de León was forced to miss Friday’s contest.
His absence was noticeable in the 77th minute. A floating ball in the box created all sorts of problems for Josue Hangi, and the graduate student goalkeeper accidentally punched it into the back of the net.
On a night where Maryland was without one of its key wingers, not even a formation change or tired legs could halt its early-season momentum.
Three things to know
1. College Park reunion. Northwestern head coach Russell Payne and midfielder Joe Suchecki have both played under Cirovski. Friday night was a reunion for the trio. Payne was a four-year starter with the Terps during the beginning of Cirovski’s tenure and Suchecki manned the middle of the pitch from 2020-2023.
2. Masereka’s killer knack. The senior has wreaked havoc on the flank with his quick pace all season. Tonight, he showed off his insane finishing skillset with a bicycle kick to provide Maryland some breathing room in the second half.
3. Unbeaten through eight. Despite some heavy legs late in the match, the Terps’ unbeaten streak reached eight games with a convincing victory over Northwestern. It never really felt like Maryland was going to relinquish its lead, even after the Wildcats halved the deficit just before halftime.
