Maryland men’s soccer’s 2025 campaign has been all about avenging losses from last season, and it started the year off on the right foot with a 1-0 victory over then-No. 25 Georgetown. But the Terps’ Big Ten slate also opens the door for them to confront road environments they’ve struggled in.
Entering this season, Maryland was a combined 18-21-8 away from College Park against its five conference road opponents — Wisconsin, Penn State, UCLA, Ohio State and Michigan State. The Terps also lost their
final three road games last season after starting off with a trio of wins.
On Sept. 12, Maryland did something it hadn’t done in eight years. The Terps traveled up north to Madison and dealt Wisconsin a 3-1 defeat. Despite allowing the Badgers back in the game, Maryland stayed poised and netted two goals in the second half.
Coupled with their two road victories this season, the Terps have protected their home turf. Maryland has outscored its four opponents at Ludwig Field, 14-3, with a 2-2 draw against Bucknell halting its perfect home record. A 2-1 victory over Pitt on Friday continued that trend.
But now the Terps are forced to go back on the road to an environment that has had their number: University Park, Pennsylvania. Maryland plays Penn State on Tuesday at 8 p.m., searching for its first series road win since 2017. The game can be streamed on Big Ten Network.
Penn State Nittany Lions (2-4-1, 0-2 Big Ten)
2024 Record: 5-9-2, 2-6-2 Big Ten
Head coach Jeff Cook is one of the most experienced coaches in the conference, with a good track record in both college soccer and professionally. Cook guided Dartmouth to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in 12 seasons and took Cincinnati to its first berth in program history. Now in his eighth season at the helm of Penn State, navigating Big Ten soccer has proven to be Cook’s biggest challenge yet. He has just four tournament matches under his belt.
After three straight seasons of postseason play from 2019-2021, last year continued Penn State’s downfall. The Nittany Lions finished with their lowest win total (5) under Cook and missed out on the conference tournament for the first time ever, ending at the bunker of the Big Ten. Penn State had a pair of losing streaks, including one that reached four games to conclude the year.
This season has not been any better. Outside of two commanding victories against Stetson and Mercyhurst, the Nittany Lions have been outscored by seven goals. A 4-1 defeat to No. 5 Indiana on Friday highlighted their conference struggles, without a win in their first two games.
Players to watch
Caden Grabfelder, junior midfielder, No. 11 — Selected 50th overall in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft, Grabfelder has been Penn State’s lone bright spot in its two disappointing years. The do-it-all midfielder has totaled 36 starts across his three seasons and been exceptional in every one of them. Grabfelder has two goals and two assists this year.
Ben Liscum, graduate student midfielder, No. 20 — Liscum is having a career year in his final collegiate season, and has staked his claim as the team’s top facilitator. With just three goals and two assists in his first 50 appearances, he has dished out a team-high three assists this season in seven games.
Matthew Henderson, senior defender, No. 3 — Roaming the flanks at Penn State for four seasons, Henderson has been just as much a threat in the attacking half as he is defensively. The international product from Scotland had a pair of assists in the Nittany Lions’ 5-0 win earlier this season. Henderson has four goals and 12 assists in his career.
Strengths
Attacking depth. While Penn State doesn’t have a clear-cut top option up front — an area that has hindered the team in losses — it has a variety of players that can find the back of the net. The Nittany Lions have 10 different goal scorers, with Grabfelder as the lone multi-goal performer on the season. Eight players have also contributed assists.
Weakness
Goaltending. Penn State has utilized two goalkeepers this year, but neither has had much success. Fredrick Grundin allowed five goals across his two starts against Army West Point and then-No. 23 Missouri State. Jonathan Evans has a 1.2 goals against average in five starts with 16 saves. Maryland’s diverse attack will likely create nightmares for whoever starts in goal.
Three things to watch
1. Road warriors. In an interview this season, Albi Ndrenika stated he loves playing on the road because he feels like the villain in hostile environments. The Terps have embraced that role, with a pair of quality victories away from College Park. However, Maryland has just a 9-14-2 road record against Penn State.
2. Which winger makes their presence felt? It seems like whenever the Terps find their way on the scoreboard Stephane Njike or Sadam Masereka play some role in it. The electric forwards have amounted six goals and three assists, including connecting for one of Maryland’s two goals against Pitt. Masereka scored the other one in that game.
3. Important battle in the midfield. The Terps’ ball possession style revolves around their ability to play through their midfield trio. But Tuesday’s clash will feature two future MLS players going toe-to-toe. Leon Koehl and Grabfelder were picked in the MLS SuperDraft second round. Winning the center of the pitch will be vital if Maryland aims to move to 6-0-1 and stay unbeaten.
