The typically packed stands at Michael A. Carroll Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana, were empty during the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal match between No. 5-seed Maryland men’s soccer and No. 4-seed Michigan State.
But that didn’t bring down the mood for either team.
All the energy was packed on the field in a match featuring multiple scuffles and 17 combined fouls. That chippiness played into the Terps’ hands, helping them take revenge on the Spartans with a 2-1 victory.
Throughout the first half,
the game was quite physical, but it reached a boiling point in the 39th minute. Spartans forward Oscar Huerta fouled Henry Bernstein hard, knocking him to the ground before stepping on him while he was down.
Huerta was booked for a red card and the Spartans were forced to play with a man down for the rest of the match, severely hampering their attack.
Maryland’s captain Albi Ndrenika entered Sunday’s match with his offensive momentum at an all-time high, having scored twice in the previous three games for the Terps.
His scoring tear continued against the Spartans as he broke the deadlock in the 33rd minute. Marco Wright made a brilliant run down the left flank before a give-and-go exchange, including a back heel pass from Lillian Fichelle, set Wright into space.
Wright dished a pass to Ndrenika, who was streaking toward the box with plenty of green grass ahead. Ndrenika ultimately smashed a shot to the bottom left of the goal to give the Terps a 1-0 lead.
Ndrenika’s dominance continued into the second half as he contributed to the Terps’ second goal of the game. He fired a free kick in the attacking third to the back post, where Maxwell Sekyi flicked it across and found Wright for his first goal of the season.
Earlier in the season, the Spartans defeated the Terps at Ludwig Field in a gritty 2-1 victory. Michigan State overwhelmed Maryland with set pieces in that game, earning 10 corners with one leading to a Terps own goal.
In Sunday’s match, the Terps’ defending inside the box was much improved. They allowed just a single shot on goal in the first half and thwarted every Spartans’ corner opportunity.
With Ljubomir Popovic booked for a red card in Maryland’s last match against Penn State, he had to serve a one-game suspension and was not available for the Terps.
In response, Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski slid Farouk Cisse back into the backline from the midfield and slotted Dominic Ayella into the starting lineup. Cisse and Ayella both performed for Cirovski, executing their roles on both sides of the ball.
The Spartans scored a goal from the head of Mohammed Saad in the 89th minute, but it was too little, too late, as the Terps held on for the victory. After crashing out early in last year’s Big Ten tournament, Maryland started this year’s edition with a strong performance.
Three things to know
1. Hoosiers ahead. Following Maryland’s tournament win against Michigan State, the Terps will now take on top-seeded Indiana Wednesday evening. In the Terps’ first encounter with the Hoosiers, they were dominated in a 3-1 defeat at the hands of former Terp Stephane Njike, who had a goal and assist. Maryland will have to play its most complete game of the season to defeat Indiana, currently on a four-game unbeaten streak.
2. One is good, but two is sweeter. After earning their first ten wins by one goal, the Terps have won their last two each by two goals. It’s a sign of not just consistent offensive pressure for the Terps, but also vastly improved defensive work.
3. Defense first. After struggling keeping the ball out of the net in Big Ten play, Maryland’s defense has tightened up, allowing just three goals in its last five games. The Terps have also secured three shutouts in that time frame. A large part of tournament success is who is playing hot at that given moment, and the Terps are one of the hottest teams in college soccer.
