So I know I’m fairly late, but if you didn’t catch it – the Terrapin men’s soccer team easily defeated preseason No. 17 St. Johns 3-0 in its first exhibition game this year.
For the first action of the season, the Terps looked great against a team that could make a run this season. Goalkeepers Zac MacMath and Will Swaim pitched a shutout, while defender Greg Young, midfielder Matt Kassel and forward Casey Townsend each scored.
Last night, the Terps weren’t so fortunate. The preseason No. 6 team in the country fell to cross-staterival UMBC in Baltimore, 1-0. I couldn’t make it out to the game, but when I get more details I’ll be sure to update.
Here’s what coach Sasho Cirovski had to say after the St. John’s win though:
“I was very pleased with our effort tonight. This is a very good St. Johns team.”
“We saw a lot of commitment. These guys were not satisfied last year. We had a great run, obviously a good year, but this team wants much more. This is the fittest team I’ve had come back after the summer.”
“We were able to introduce the freshmen to a high level, top 20 college soccer game. It’s good to see some of them in action. I’m excited.”
On freshman Patrick Mullins, who started at midfield: “He was our leading scorer last spring. He has a nose for the goal. He is a very good athlete. He has had a good couple days of training camp and he was rewarded with the start tonight.”
On freshman “Sunny” Jane, who impressed the crowd with quick dribbles and a strong shot: “Sunny’s a special player. I felt all along that he was the most dynamic attacking player in that class and we were able to secure his services very quickly. He’s just fun to watch. When he touches the ball, our whole bench starts to get off their seats and just see. He just loves to play.”
Cirovski, while pleased with the three goals, thought the team could have scored at least five. He stressed the importance of scoring for this year’s squad.
“We need to be a team that scores more than we did last year. Our most successful years we’re averaging two goals a game. We really need to be a team that is defined by our attacking qualities.”
Obviously coming up scoreless against a UMBC team picked to finish third in the America East conference is not what Cirovski expected.
Chris Eckard is the Diamondback’s Terrapin men’s soccer beat reporter. Reach him at ceckard@umdbk.com or follow him on twitter at www.twitter.com/ceckard.