NCAA soccer title match comes down to top 2 teams
CARY, N.C. – The NCAA College Cup has a marquee matchup: No. 1 Maryland vs. No. 2 New Mexico.
The Terrapins (18-4-2), a traditional men’s powerhouse who ended three years of frustration by reaching the national championship game, will try to win their first title in nearly four decades today at SAS Soccer Stadium in suburban Raleigh.
New Mexico (18-1-3) is in the final for the first time and is bidding for the school’s first national title in a sport other than skiing.
“It’s a dream matchup. The consensus top two programs in the country are in the right place at the right time,” Maryland coach Sasho Cirovski said. “It’s going to be a very competitive game.”
The Terrapins reached the semifinals the past three years and lost in suburban Los Angeles; Columbus, Ohio; and Dallas. This time, seniors such as midfielder Michael Dello-Russo are playing the 13th game of their careers in Cary, home to Atlantic Coast Conference tournaments.
“I felt a lot less pressure this year, surprisingly, than I did last year,” Dello-Russo said.
Maryland is trying for its first national soccer title since 1968, when the Terrapins shared the crown with Michigan State after the final ended tied 2-2 after two overtime periods.
Maryland advanced to the title game with a 4-1 win over SMU on Friday. It could have been worse, as the Terrapins kept the pressure on throughout.
“We were the aggressor the entire game,” said Jason Garey, who scored two goals in an NCAA Tournament-record 15-second span to beat the Mustangs. He became the top scorer in the nation with 22 goals this season. He is also Maryland’s career leader with 60 goals.
The Terrapins also set a team record of 65 goals for the season for an average of 2.7 goals per game, the second-best effort in the nation.
“If you watch our team play, you have to appreciate the joy that our team plays with and the aggressive mentality our team plays with,” Cirovski said.
“We’ve played different styles of teams all year. We’re comfortable playing a wide open, up-and-down style. We’re comfortable playing a tough, physical game. We’ll be ready for any challenge they (New Mexico) represent.”
The Lobos feature rugged players in the front and back. The average height of New Mexico’s four defenders is 6-foot-1, led by 6-4 New Zealander Andrew Boyens, who scored the winning goal on a header in Friday’s 2-1 semifinal win over Clemson.
New Mexico coach Jeremy Fishbein promised to pit New Mexico’s strength against Maryland’s flash.
“Jason Garey needs to worry about what he’s going to do about our centerbacks,” Fishbein said.
Leading scorer Jeff Rowland, who has 16 goals this season, anticipates a strength advantage over Maryland’s defenders.