The Terps look to make a quarterfinals appearance for the first time since 2018.
Heading into Maryland men’s soccer’s game in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against Long Island, the Terps had failed to make the second round of the tournament in three of the last four seasons and were in the midst of a four-game losing streak.
Head coach Sasho Cirovski and his team delivered Thursday in the form of a thrilling second-half comeback, but they don’t have much time to celebrate.
Sunday afternoon at 6 p.m., Maryland will take on one of college soccer’s hottest teams in Wake Forest on the road. The game will stream on ESPN+.
Wake Forest Demon Deacons (10-4-7, 4-2-2 ACC)
Wake Forest battled through a season in college soccer’s best conference to earn the No. 5 seed in the ACC Tournament. Heading into the conference tournament, the Demon Deacons looked to be in a similar position to the Terps, projecting as an unseeded team in the NCAA Tournament. That all changed when they rattled off four straight victories on an improbable ACC championship run, highlighted by victories over Clemson and SMU in penalty kicks.
Their run to the tournament propelled them to the No. 8-seed, and they enter the College Cup as one of the hottest teams in the country.
Players to Watch
Cooper Flax, junior midfielder, No. 18 — Flax had a solid regular season, totaling four goals and an assist en route to a spot on the All-ACC second team. Flax went to another level when the ACC Tournament started, though, scoring four times. He is the Demon Deacons penalty kick taker, as four of his eight goals have come from the penalty spot.
Trace Alphin, senior goalkeeper, No. 1 — Alphin has been a steady force in net for Wake Forest this season. He posted five shutouts with a save percentage above 72% and made four big saves in the ACC title game against Clemson. Alphin also earned a spot on the All-ACC second team.
Basit Umar, junior midfielder, No. 22 — Umar was a former standout for Dayton in the Atlantic 10 before joining the Demon Deacons through the portal this offseason. He has proven himself an important player for Wake Forest as well, coming through in multiple clutch moments with three game winning goals.
Strength
Poise. Wake Forest has come out with a win in eight games that were decided by a single goal this season. Twice in the ACC Tournament it won on a game that went to penalty kicks, with the kicks also being decided by a margin of one. The Demon Deacons have met the moment consistently throughout 2024 and are not likely to back down in any situation against Maryland.
Weakness
Discipline. Wake Forest has picked up 45 yellow cards, tied the second-most in the ACC, as well as two red cards this season. Maryland has drawn eight penalty kicks this year, and if it can force the Demon Deacons into giving away sloppy fouls in their own box, it could help Maryland get on the scoreboard.
Three things to watch
1. Old ACC battle. The Terps and Demon Deacons will be gearing up for their 40th all-time matchup. Wake Forest holds the edge over Maryland with a 19-15-5 record.
“We know [Wake Forest] quite well,” Cirovski said. “We know we’ll have to be rested, recovered and ready for a great challenge.”
2. Set piece defense. One of Maryland’s biggest issues since the beginning of the season has been its struggles to defend set pieces, particularly when service is coming directly into the box. The Demon Deacons create a lot of set pieces, so it will be crucial for the Terps to avoid conceding in one of those situations.
3. Who will step up? For a period of Thursday’s game after Maryland went down 2-1, the Terps looked like they would be heading out of the tournament in the first round. Instead, winger Sadam Masereka delivered when the team needed him most, creating a penalty and then scoring a fantastic goal just minutes later to put Maryland back in front. If the Terps can get a similar performance out of one of their forwards, it could prove crucial.