While No. 15 Maryland men’s soccer may be unbeaten through 10 games — one of eight remaining teams in the country without a loss — the Terps lacked a signature victory on their resume.
That changed Friday
night against No. 13 Michigan. Maryland’s first ranked matchup in over a month exceeded all expectations. The Terps dominated from the opening kickoff, producing a wire-to-wire 2-0 win. It never felt like the Wolverines stood a chance.
But even the margin of victory didn’t flatter Sasho Cirovski, believing that Maryland could have won by more. The Terps manufactured 12 shots and directed nine of them on frame, but only turned two into goals. A pair of scores called back for offsides didn’t help either.
That’s just the standard Cirovski has for this year’s squad. After a disappointing end to the 2024 campaign, Maryland feels it has the pieces to bring a championship back to College Park.
Maryland’s journey to a deep postseason run continues on Tuesday at Ludwig Field against No. 18 Rutgers. The game starts at 8 p.m. and can be streamed on Big Ten Network.
No. 18 Rutgers Scarlet Knights (8-2-2, 3-1-1 Big Ten)
2024 Record: (6-9-2, 3-6-1 Big Ten)
Things looked bleak when head coach Jim McElderry took over the program in 2018. Rutgers had produced just two winning seasons in its last 12 years. But McElderry has churned out unprecedented success in his seven-year tenure, highlighted by the program’s first Big Ten championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade.
After a program-changing 2022 season, the Scarlet Knights have returned to normalcy. Rutgers started with three wins in its first four games last year, but crumbed once the gauntlet hit. A six-game skid dampened its postseason hopes. Still, the Scarlet Knights captured some late-season magic with wins over then-No. 8 Wisconsin and then-No. 10 Maryland.
Behind its perfect home record through six games, Rutgers has ascended into the national poll for the first time since 2021. Victories over Penn State, Ohio State and Wisconsin have vaulted the Scarlet Knights into a tie for third place in the Big Ten. Rutgers’ lone blemishes on the season have been a 3-1 defeat to Princeton and one-goal loss to Northwestern.
Players to watch
Joschi Schelb, junior midfielder, No. 10 — Schelb has a goalscoring knack unmatched by any midfielder in the country this season. The Saint Francis transfer is dangerous in and around the box, consistently posing a threat in the attacking half. He has produced the second-most goals in the Big Ten (7), including a hat trick earlier this season, and contributed three assists.
Ciaran Dalton, senior goalkeeper, No. 1 — After one of the top freshman campaigns in 2022, Dalton has been irreplaceable between the pipes. A New York Red Bulls Academy product, he has played nearly every minute in goal over the last couple seasons. Dalton is second in the Big Ten with 3.6 saves per game and conceded just 1.1 goals per game.
Dan Karsten, sophomore forward, No. 11 — The Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team honoree has found success in Big Ten soccer. Karsten only totalled six goals and an assist last season representing Lipscomb. He is well on-pace to shatter those numbers, with five goals and three assists thus far. HIs brace against Monmouth fueled the team to victory.
Strength
Goalscoring. The Scarlet Knights may not create tons of chances over 90 minutes, but when they manufacture a quality look, they usually convert. With the third-most productive offense in the Big Ten — 25 goals in 12 games — the Scarlet Knights can hang with any team. A trio of four-goal performances and 10 goalscorers makes Rutgers hard to gameplan for.
Weakness
Reckless challenges. There are not many things the Scarlet Knights do wrong, as evidenced by their eight-win total. But one of them is their yellow card accumulation. The Scarlet Knights have the second-most cards in the Big Ten (20) on only 122 fouls committed. Most of those disciplines are likely tactical fouls to prevent a good chance.
Three things to watch
1. Big Ten implications. At the halfway point in the Big Ten slate, there’s a lot of traffic near the top of the standings. Just three points separate the top five teams, with Washington leading the charge. Maryland still has three games against those four other teams, including Tuesday against Rutgers. The Terps and Scarlet Knights sit second and third in the conference, respectively.
2. Balanced attack. While most of the top teams in the country have one or two players they typically rely on for goals, Maryland is far from that. Thirteen different players have scored. Stephane Njike and Sadam Masereka each have four goals. The nation’s fourth-best offense is a juggernaut, beating teams from a multitude of angles.
3. Ludwig success. Playing at Ludwig Field is imposing for any opposition who steps on the pitch, and it’s shown this season. After tying Bucknell in their home opener, the Terps have rattled off five consecutive victories in College Park by a combined 16 goals. While Rutgers defeated Maryland at Ludwig Field in 2023, that’s the Scarlet Knights only road win in the series.
