Maryland forwards are too much for Mason D
Maryland and George Mason were two of the hottest teams in the nation entering Tuesday’s NCAA second round match, with the ACC-champion Terrapins boasting an 11-game winning streak, just slightly better than CAA-champion Patriots’ own eight-game run.
But in front of a chilly 2,064 at Ludwig Field, the margin between the teams was much greater, with Maryland (19-3-0) cruising to a 2-0 victory to advance to the third round for a record seventh consecutive year while George Mason (14-7-2) was left to settle for matching its best win total since its last visit to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 1996.
Seeded second in the tournament, the Terrapins weathered an adrenaline-fueled start by the underdog Patriots, who nevertheless struggled to get the ball to leading scorer Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe (nine goals, seven assists).
It was clear George Mason required something special to look dangerous, but Maryland forwards Jason Herrick and Casey Townsend tormented the Patriots, threatening to score nearly every time they touched the ball.
Herrick got things going in the 22nd minute, picking the ball off George Mason midfielder Ryan Gracia and immediately sending Townsend through with a perfectly weighted ball. The freshman confidently beat sliding Patriots goalkeeper Sean Kelley, scoring his 11th goal of the year to put the home team on the board, 1-0.
George Mason struggled to hang on as the pressure mounted, and two minutes before halftime, Jeremy Hall’s cross from the left side found Graham Zusi on the Patriots’ doorstep, and Zusi easily nodded the ball down, doubling the Terrapins’ lead and dealing a lethal blow to the Patriots’ morale going into the break.
Maryland continued to press until the final whistle, with Zusi nearly scoring on the opening kick of the second half.
The Terrapins will host either UC-Santa Barbara or California in the third round Saturday at 1.
