Maryland Terrapins
ACC
Maryland only won one of their first four games of the 2013 season. After that, the Terrapins lost just one contest, a 4-3 shootout at home to Wake Forest. Coach Sasho Cirovski’s squad ended up with a 7-1-3 record in ACC play. That was good enough to finish tied atop the standings with Notre Dame.
2013 Record: 13-3-5
Coach: Sasho Cirovski
Good Results: 9/21 at Clemson (3-1), 10/26 at Syracuse (1-0)
Bad Results: 9/8 at VCU (2-3), 10/19 Wake Forest (3-4)
Why They Can Surprise:
Maryland ranked fourth in the country in scoring offense and, of course, much of that has to do with all-everything striker Patrick Mullins. The 6-1 senior will be a top pick in the MLS SuperDraft come January, but he has a little work left to do in the collegiate ranks first. Mullins heads into the NCAA Tournament with 14 goals and 7 assists and he will almost certainly add to those totals. Schillo Tshuma often gets overlooked, but he is a superb talent who is capable of taking a game over. Tsubasa Endoh and Jake Pace are capable scorers too. And with great service from players like Mikey Ambrose and Sunny Jane, Maryland makes it look easy.
Why They Can Disappoint:
This is a team that can have some serious defensive lapses. They allowed 12 goals in their first five games of the season. Things did get better, but there were some other contests that were problematic, most notably a 3-3 tie at Virginia and the 4-3 loss to Wake Forest. Those two games were back in the middle of October and Maryland has been playing much better defense down the stretch, but the back line has proven that they can struggle during any given game.
Key Strikers:
Patrick Mullens, Senior, 14 goals, 7 assists
Schillo Tshuma, Sophomore, 6 goals, 1 assist
Sunny Jane, Senior, 2 goals, 6 assists
Jake Pace, Senior, 5 goals, 1 assist
Key Midfielders:
Tsubasa Endoh, Sophomore, 3 goals, 4 assists
Dan Metzger, Junior, 2 goals, 1 assist
Key Defenders:
Mikey Ambrose, Sophomore, 0 goals, 4 assists
Key Goalkeepers:
Zack Staffen, Sophomore, 1.17 goals against average, .690 save percentage, 7 shutouts
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 2.22 (4th in nation, 1st in conference)
Goals-Against Average: 1.35 (123, 10)
Shutout Percentage: 0.22 (129, 11)
Save Percentage: 0.671 (180, 11)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2012 Second Round Defeated Brown
2012 Third Round Defeated Coastal Carolina
2012 Quarterfinals Defeated Louisville
2012 National Semifinals Lost to Georgetown
2011 Second Round Defeated West Virginia
2011 Third Round Lost to Louisville
2010 Second Round Defeated Penn
2010 Third Round Defeated Penn State
2010 Quarterfinals Lost to Michigan
2009 First Round Defeated Loyola (MD)
2009 Second Round Defeated Penn State
2009 Third Round Defeated Harvard
2009 Quarterfinals Lost to Virginia
2008 Second Round Defeated George Mason
2008 Third Round Defeated California
2008 Quarterfinals Defeated Creighton
2008 National Semifinals Defeated St. John's
2008 National Finals Defeated North Carolina
2007 Second Round Defeated Loyola (MD)
2007 Third Round Lost to Bradley
2006 Second Round Defeated St. John's
2006 Third Round Lost to Notre Dame
2005 Second Round Defeated Brown
2005 Third Round Defeated St. John's
2005 Quarterfinals Defeated Akron
2005 National Semifinals Defeated SMU
2005 National Finals Defeated New Mexico
2004 Second Round Defeated Hofstra
2004 Third Round Defeated Creighton
2004 Quarterfinals Defeated UCLA
2004 National Semifinals Lost to Indiana
2003 Second Round Defeated Old Dominion
2003 Third Round Defeated Akron
2003 Quarterfinals Defeated St. Louis
2003 National Semifinals Lost to St. John's
*all team stats through 11/10
See All Men’s Soccer Postseason Capsules