Following a strong 2025 season fueled by a veteran and versatile roster, Maryland men’s soccer entered the 2026 season with questions surrounding which of its 14 newcomers would step up.
That question was answered emphatically by freshman Said El Eyssami, who found nylon twice in the Terps’ 2-1 opening victory against the Pittsburgh Panthers Thursday night.
“He’s a special talent,” head coach Sasho Cirovski said. “He’s got a nose for the goal.”
The first goal came in the 11th minute when El Eyssami
received a feed from Henry Bernstein that led him into open space at the top of the box. The Panama native delivered a precise shot with his left foot into the bottom right corner of the net, past the outstretched hand of Pitt goalie Jack Moxom.
Bernstein and El Eyssami connected once more just after halftime. A midfield run from Bernstein ended with another perfect pass to set up El Eyssami one-on-one with the keeper. The freshman accelerated past his defender and placed his shot off the inside of the right post, which careened left and in to extend the Terps’ lead to two.
But those moments overshadowed a relentless Pitt attack — Maryland was outshot 14-6, with only three shots on goal.
Pitt started the game with sustained pressure on the new-look Maryland backline, forcing multiple dangerous scoring chances in the opening 15 minutes of play. Campbell transfer Lilian Fichelle was the most composed defender for the Terps, making two key stops in the first half on Panthers midfielder Anders Bordoy. Fichelle left the game in the 25th minute after holding his right ankle.
Mamadou Tall was the offensive catalyst for the Panthers, keeping the Terps on their toes all night long. After producing multiple scoring chances in the first half, Tall found the back of the net from 40 yards out after Laurin Mack’s clearance was redirected back into Maryland’s defensive half. The freshman executed a high arcing shot that bounced off of the goal line and in, cutting the Terps’ lead to one after 66 minutes of play.
The unique goal caused a shift in momentum as the Panthers spent the following minutes pressing the Terps in their own end — forcing Mack and the defense to make several goal-saving plays. Outside of Pitt’s goal, Mack looked sharp, stopping five of the six shots on goal.
The Terps’ defense continued to work in the final 20 minutes of the game, not allowing the Panthers to continue their offensive push. Leon Koehl and Albi Ndrenika provided their experienced presence in the midfield, controlling possession and making the right passes when necessary. The senior duo’s familiarity with the system made for comfortable viewing Thursday and could be key to more Maryland success this season.
Nineteen Terps saw action in the game, partly with the goal of preserving players’ health in early-season games. Freshman Rodrigo Neri and Franklin Affanyi found their way into the starting lineup alongside Lindsey Wilson transfer Dominic Ayella, all having their first actions as Terps.
“We played a lot of players today,” Cirovski said. “We’re going to continue to try to get fit through some of the games and rotate players.”
Three things to know
1. Freshman phenoms. In last year’s season opener against Georgetown, the Terps’ starting lineup featured no freshman. But Thursday’s starting lineup featured three highly regarded recruits in El Eyssami, Neri and Affanyi. El Eyssami and Neri showed their playmaking chops in the Maryland attack while Affanyi displayed poise in the Terps’ revamped defense. The trio combined for 177 minutes in tonight’s game; Affanyi played the full 90.
2. Possession game. Despite the final score, Pitt was the aggressor on offense for a majority of the game. The Panthers racked up 14 shots to the Terps’ six and drew nine more corner kicks. The Terps committed a staggering 16 fouls to the Panthers three. Maryland benefited from some fortuitous bounces as Pitt had two shots bounce off the post.
“This was a culture team win,” Cirovski said. “This was a poor performance where we had to make the right plays at the right time and absorb some pressure against a good team on the road.”
3. No place like Ludwig. The Terps begin a four-game homestand in College Park at Ludwig Field, starting with New Haven on Monday at 7 p.m. The following three games include two highly anticipated ranked matchups against No. 16 High Point and No. 5 Georgetown. The Terps will also take on Delaware. In 2025, the Terps boasted an 8-0-1 regular-season record at home.
