And, boy, is it a doozy.
Get out your calendars and ready your markers, because there’s some good action any able-bodied Crew member will want to see:
Saturday, March 6: Crystal Palace USA
College Park, Md. (11 a.m.)
The Terps kick off spring with a match against Crystal Palace USA of the newly-formed North American Soccer League. The Catonsville, Md.-based club served as the old stomping grounds for new assistant coach Brian Rowland, who plied his goalkeeping craft for three years with the team in the United Soccer League.
As far as Terps go, the season opener will offer a first look not only at new assistants Michael Dello-Russo and Rowland, but early enrollees Patrick Mullins and Gordon Murie, as well.
Saturday, March 27: Wake Forest and Campbell
Winston-Salem, N.C. (11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.)
Despite losing four first-rounders to MLS, the Demon Deacons should again be counted as among the favorites to make it to yet another College Cup this fall. There won’t be any shortage of new talent, though; as many as six early enrollees, including the aforementioned Terps, could see the field in the scrimmage.
The Fighting Camels, meanwhile (really, Campbell, really?), are coming off consecutive Atlantic Sun regular season championships. But with former coach Doug Hess having moved on to Drexel, it will be former Terp Steve Armas at the helm for the first time. Armas played for the Terps from 1995-1998, finishing seventh among the school’s career assists leaders.
Wednesday, April 14: D.C. United
Washington, D.C. (10 a.m.)
These usually end up being 5-0 romps, but, hey, in a way this gives Rodney Wallace a chance to experience what his senior year would have been like with the Terps.
Sunday, April 18: Akron and Army
College Park, Md. (1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.)
What a dichotomy of a doubleheader. After returning eight starters from last year’s near-perfect season and adding another deep recruiting class, Akron should be the preseason No. 1 and the College Cup favorite.
Army, on the other hand, is hoping for just some kind of brush with success. After all, that’s what got new coach and former Terp assistant coach Russell Payne the gig in West Point, N.Y. After two titles in College Park, Payne takes over a program that endured a rough 35-88-16 stretch in former coach Kurt Swanbeck’s eight seasons.
Friday, April 23: Virginia
Germantown, Md. (7 p.m.)
Oh, sweet irony. The Terps end their spring season against the same squad that ended their postseason last year in forgettable fashion. While the Cavaliers lost Terp tormentor Tony Tchani (how’s that for alliteration?), they return their entire backline and All-America goalkeeper Diego Restrepo, who hasn’t yielded a goal in what seems like three years now. Could the usual animosity between these two border rivals carry over into a relatively meaningless friendly? Frankly, I would be surprised if it didn’t.
Jonas Shaffer is The Diamondback’s men’s soccer beat writer. He can be reached at shaffer@umdbk.com. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/jonas_shaffer.