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NCAA men's tournament Maryland hungry to take final step to national title.
SoccerTimes COLLEGE PARK, MD. (Monday, November 21, 2005) -- Few programs have experienced the success that Maryland has in recent years. However, the Terrapins will not fully enjoy their accomplishments until they take the final step and earn the school's first outright NCAA Division I championship. Maryland (15-4-1), which is ranked No. 2 in the SoccerTimes.com College Coaches Poll and earned the top seed in the this year's tournament, have made it to the Men's College Cup semifinals the past three seasons and lost in each appearance. The Terps, who received a first-round bye, as did all 16 seeded teams, face Brown (11-4-2) Tuesday night at home in the second round, needing five victories to accomplish the national title everyone involved wants so badly. "I'm really pleased with the success we've had the last three years, but it's not enough," said coach Sasho Cirovski, who also led the Terps to the Final Four in 1998. "I think we're the only elite team not to have a national championship. Soccer is a fickle game and sometimes the bounces don't go your way. And I don't think we've gotten a lucky bounce the last three years. We hope the law of averages evens out. " Maryland did claim a share of the 1968 national title with Michigan State after a 2-2 draw in the final, but Cirovksi knows not to expect any easy matches with the abundance of quality teams the NCAA has featured in recent years. You look at the parity in college soccer and there are no givens," said Cirovski, who is 209-100-19 (.666) as a college head coach, 183-88-13 (.667) in 13 years at Maryland. "The top seed is nice. . . I think one of our strengths is that we keep our feet firmly planted on the ground. We're not affected by external expectations. Our motto is, 'Respect everyone and fear no one.' " Key to Maryland's fortunes is the veteran leadership that comes with a nucleus of seniors who have been regulars the Terps throughout the string of Final Four appearances -- striker Jason Garey, flank midfielder Kenney Bertz and defender Chris Lancos. Central midfielder Michael Dello-Russo would have played in all three College Cup semifinals had he not missed the 2003 season with a knee injury.
Garey, for one, thinks that Terps have what it takes to earn the NCAA championship. "I think if we play hard and humble, then we have as good a chance as any other team in the tournament," Garey said. The Terps play a 4-4-2 with an attacking mentality. They try to put pressure on opponents by continually pushing the ball forward. All of the midfielders and defenders are responsible, when appropriate, for triggering the attack. If one offensive foray doesn't produce a goal, the Terps are sure the next one will. With 58 goals (2.8 per game), U.Md. easily led the Atlantic Coast Conference with Duke (43, 2.36) next. Only Akron, with 59 goals, an average of 2.95 per game, scored more in Division I. "I think one of our biggest strengths is being opportunistic," Garey said. "We try to make the most of our chances." Garey, who is second in Division 1 with 20 goals, one behind Campbell forward Willy Guadarrama, is tied with Guadarrama for the points lead with 46. He is U.Md.'s all-time leader in goals (58) and points (135). "He's a guy who gets better the closer he gets to the opponent's net," Cirovski said of Garey. "He works hard. At times he misses passes or has a bad touch but, in the end, he scores a goal every game. He's great in the air, tough." While the Terps' prolific attack gets most of the attention, their defense should not be overlooked, having conceded 19 goals in 20 games, tied for second best in the ACC.
Maryland received a dose of reality when it was knocked off by then-No. 11 Duke 4-2 in the ACC tournament semifinals. The Terps know they cannot afford any letdowns in the NCAAs "We need to make sure we play the entire game and start the game with a sense of urgency," Garey said. "I mean, we can't rush things, but at the same time, we need to dictate the tempo and pace of the game." "I don't think we have to make many tactical adjustments," Bertz added. "We just need to get back to basics and play hungry."
Bryan Brown, a Chicago native, is a sophomore at American University in Washington, D.C., studying broadcast journalism. E-mail Bryan Brown Do you have a comment on this story or something to say about soccer in general? Send us a letter. |
