When the Maryland men?s soccer team?s senior class took to a drenched Ludwig Field for senior night Oct. 27, it was pushed by a stubborn Virginia Tech team.That challenge in a less-than-ideal environment should have provided a wake-up call for the Terps as they head into their Atlantic Coast Conference tournament opener against Boston College tonight at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Boyds.
“We haven?t had one like that in awhile where we had to finish a game,” Terps coach Sasho Cirovski said in a team release. “I think we had forgotten how to do that. We are going to dissect this and learn some things because we?re going to be faced with these situations in the ACC and NCAA tournaments.”
Throughout the season, things haven?t come easy for the defending NCAA champions. But the team went 14-3-1 with a 4-3-1 record in the ACC. Many of those wins came without regulars on the field.
“It?s a remarkable regular season,” Cirovski said. “With the target on your back and with a number of players missing in a number of games, to be 14-3-1 right now with this schedule, I think it?s been a remarkable regular season.”
The Terps closed the regular season on a four-game winning streak, with last Friday?s test being the closest of the group. The team put together a six-game win streak in the middle of the season, but at the beginning of October, the Terps went on a three-game stretch where they settled for a tie and two losses in conference play.
The fourth-seeded Terps have what amounts to a home game in tonight?s 8 p.m. start at SoccerPlex, which is in Montgomery County. Boston College enters the tournament as the No. 5 seed. The Eagles went 8-6-2 in the regular season and ended with a 3-1 loss to North Carolina.
Maryland?s solid season was capped off with a bevy of awards Monday. Sophomore goalkeeper Chris Seitz was named the ACC defensive player of the year, while Jeremy Hall was named the ACC freshman of the year. Seitz and junior Maurice Edu were rewarded with all-conference first-team berths, while junior Stephen King earned second-team honors. Omar Gonzalezand Jason Herrick joined Hall on the all-freshman team.
ACC crazy
» The winner of tonight?s game will play the winner of today?s 2:30 p.m. game between No. 1 Duke and No. 9 N.C. State. The Wolfpack downed No. 8 Virginia Tech, 4-3, to advance Tuesday.
» No. 2 Wake Forest clashes with No. 7 North Carolina at noon today, and No. 3 Virginia plays No. 6 Clemson at 5:30 p.m..
» The semifinals will take place Friday at 5:30 and 8 p.m., with the final slated for Sunday at 1:10 p.m.
