No. 4-seed Maryland men’s soccer’s journey to the College Cup runs through Ludwig Field. Despite dropping their Big Ten Tournament semifinal match, the Terps hold home-field advantage for up to three games
in the NCAA Tournament.
Outside of that loss to UCLA, Maryland has been dominant at home. The Terps boast an impressive 8-1-1 record, including an eight-game winning streak that was snapped last week. Maryland has also only dropped one home NCAA Tournament game in the past decade.
But the Terps’ path to a fifth national championship is far from easy. Maryland faces North Carolina on Sunday in the second round, before a potential clash with either UConn or Cornell in the following round. Two strong ACC opponents could await in the quarterfinals.
The good news for Terps’ fans is that the Tar Heels will enter the second round with heavy legs. North Carolina played 110 minutes on Thursday and still needed a penalty shootout to eke past North Florida.
Maryland plays at 1 p.m. on Sunday to begin its 42nd postseason appearance — the fifth-most in the country. The match will be aired on ESPN+.
North Carolina Tar Heels (9-5-5, 2-2-4 ACC)
2024 record: 9-4-5, 4-3-1 ACC
Head coach Carlos Somoano has found a home in Chapel Hill. Somoano spent nine seasons as an assistant coach at North Carolina prior to his promotion. It’s been a successful 15-year head coaching tenure. The Tar Heels have reached the NCAA Tournament 14 times, including the program’s second national championship in 2011 — Somoano’s first season at the helm.
North Carolina took a step back last season after a run to the quarterfinals in 2023. The Tar Heels started off the year hot, extending their unbeaten run to nine games. But a 3-2 loss to Clemson began their spiral. North Carolina won just one of its final five ACC games, including in the conference tournament. Still, the Tar Heels reached the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
This season, North Carolina struggled mightily during conference play. Despite drawing against No. 5-seed SMU and No. 15-seed NC State, the Tar Heels won just two of their eight ACC games. Nonconference losses to Charleston and UAB didn’t help either. But North Carolina barely lost to No. 2-seed Virginia in the ACC Tournament before its NCAA Tournament opening-round victory.
Players to watch
Nacho Abeal, graduate student midfielder, No. 7 — While Abeal was named to the All-Ohio Valley second team last year with SIUE, he wasn’t expected to make a significant leap in the ACC. That’s been far from the case. The Spanish midfielder is tied for 10th in the country in assists (9) while also chipping in a team-high six goals this season.
Dylan Kropp, senior defender, No. 4 — North Carolina made a handful of splashy additions in the transfer portal, and Kropp is another player that has panned out. After totaling 46 starts across his three seasons at Xavier, he has cemented his role in the heart of the Tar Heels’ backline. Kropp does all the little things that don’t show up in the stat sheet, winning aerial battles and slowing down attackers one-on-one. He was named to the All-ACC second team.
Jack Sandmeyer, graduate student midfielder, No. 28 — Sandmeyer has bounced around college soccer, currently playing at his third school in five years. But the San Diego transfer is one of the top holding midfielders in the country this season. Sandmeyer is technically sound on the ball in possession and can cover loads of space.
Strength
Preventing goals. In a conference filled with several stout defenses, North Carolina is towards the top of the list. The Tar Heels have only conceded 16 goals this season — tied for the third-fewest in the ACC. North Carolina has posted eight shutouts, including a run of four consecutive games. Goalie Andrew Cordes has also made 45 saves this year.
Weakness
Clear top attacker. Abeal may have solidified his role as the Tar Heels’ top distributor, but what they lack is consistent goalscorer. Freshman Dan Klink has scored six goals off the bench while Abeal has a half-dozen as well. North Carolina’s starting forward pairing has only contributed eight goals, a worrying mark against Maryland’s strong center back duo.
Three things to watch
1. How does Maryland respond? The Terps only trailed for 78 seconds in the regular season, but the moment they faced adversity against UCLA, Maryland folded. In a must-win game to keep their season alive, the Terps will be hoping that was a one-off performance.
2. Well-rested. While Maryland’s Big Ten Tournament loss was far from the outcome it wanted, the defeat opened the door for an extended break. The Terps’ 11-day break between games is the longest they’ve had this season, allowing players with a knock to recover. Maryland will be 100 percent healthy and refreshed heading into Sunday, something North Carolina can’t say.
3. ACC foes reunite. Before the Terps moved to the Big Ten, they regularly faced off against North Carolina during ACC play. Since Maryland’s departure, the two sides have yet to face off. That drought ends on Sunday. The Terps have dominated the all-time series, winning 44 of the 71 previous meetings.
