Maryland men’s soccer has had the date Aug. 21 circled on its calendar since the schedule was first released.
The significance is more than just the start of the team’s 2025 campaign, though. The Terps have deemed this year a revenge tour, with chances to avenge all six of their defeats from last season.
After losses in five of its last six games to end 2024, Maryland’s late-season collapse left players with a bitter taste. Thursday’s contest against No. 6 Wake Forest will bring back memories from
last season’s conclusion, and not good ones.
Nine months ago, the Terps clashed with Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament second round. Coming off an offensive explosion in the opening round, Maryland dropped a very tight and nervy game, 2-1.
The Terps will be tested early on in the year but their road to a fifth national championship rests on another blazing hot start. Maryland begins its season on the road starting at 8 p.m. The game can be streamed on ACC Network.
No. 6 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (0-0-0, 0-0-0 ACC)
2024 Record: 12-5-7, 4-2-2 ACC
Wake Forest was fresh off a disappointing opening-round tournament exit when head coach Bobby Muuss took over in 2015. But in his first season at the helm, Muuss guided the Demon Deacons to the program’s first quarterfinal appearance in six years. Since then, Wake Forest has taken off and become a perennial powerhouse.
Over his 10 years in charge, the Demon Deacons have posted the most wins in Division I (152), an impressive 111-19-12 home record, made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances and reached the College Cup twice.
Wake Forest reached the quarterfinals last season after getting hot down the stretch. The Demon Deacons lost just two games in their final 16 games, including a 3-0 defeat against top seed Ohio State.
Players to know
Cooper Flax, senior midfielder, No. 18 — The No. 44-ranked recruit in the class of 2022 according to Top Drawer Soccer, Flax has certainly lived up to the hype since arriving on campus. After starting 12 games as a freshman, he has quickly risen to stardom. Flax was named to the United Soccer Coaches All-American third team in 2024, with nine goals and an assist.
Travis Smith Jr., junior defender, No. 3 — Despite being selected 33rd overall in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, Smith Jr. elected to come back for his junior season. While his decision to return to Wake Forest may be questionable, the talent is without a doubt evident, and last season proved that. Smith Jr, logged 1,718 minutes in his 21 starts and was a breakout star in the backline.
Basit Umar, senior midfielder, No. 22 — Umar was one of the team’s key players last year, and it took eight games for Wake Forest to figure that out. After making his first start midway through the season, the Demon Deacons went on a roll with a 10-2-4 record in the final 16 games. Umar scored four goals and dished out two assists as a regular in the starting lineup.
Strength
Midfield play. While Wake Forest lost seven players from its starting lineup at the end of the season, three of those returners were part of the team’s dynamic midfield group. Flax, Umar and Jose Perez combined for 63 starts and were crucial pieces in the Demon Deacons’ success. Their offensive production is comforting for a team with a lot of new faces.
Weakness
Goalkeeping. Whoever starts for Wake Forest this year in goal will have big shoes to fill after longtime starter Trace Alphin departed. Alphin made 78 starts across his four seasons and was a key part of the Demon Deacons’ strong defense. Jonah Mednard is the only rostered goalkeeper with any college experience and he logged just 17 minutes in two appearances.
Three things to watch
1. Same field, different result? Maryland and Wake Forest met last season in a game that could have gone either way. While the Demon Deacons secured the narrow 2-1 victory, there is a lot of optimism and question marks surrounding both teams this year. The Terps are looking for their first road win in the series since 2006.
2. New look backline. Luca Costabile is the lone returner from last year’s starting defensive lineup. However, head coach Sasho Cirovski has plenty of experienced options to choose from to pair alongside Costabile. Lasse Kelp and Tristen Rose were quality defenders at their last schools. Jace Clark and Mack DeVries look poised to make massive leaps this season.
3. Injury concerns. Midfielder Leon Koehl and forward Colin Griffith’s status heading into Thursday’s contest are ones to monitor as the pair recovers from injuries. While both are key pieces, Cirovski has emphasized the abundance of depth across the field on this year’s team. That depth will be tested in an early-season game of this magnitude.
