Friday’s matchup against the Terrapins serves as a reunion of sorts for fourth-year Northwestern head coach Russell Payne. As a student-athlete, Payne won an Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) title during his senior season at Maryland. He went on to spend five seasons as an assistant coach with the program, helping lead the Terrapins to a pair of national championships (2005, 2008).
Admission to all Northwestern men’s soccer games at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium is free throughout the regular season.
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern dropped its Big Ten Conference road opener by a 2-0 final to Washington last Friday at Husky Soccer Stadium in Seattle, Wash. Rafael Ponce de León led the ‘Cats in the setback, matching his career high with five saves in goal.
SCOUTING MARYLAND
Maryland, which sits at 4-1-3 overall (2-0 B1G) and is ranked No. 19 in the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 Poll, rolls into Friday’s clash with the ‘Cats in the midst of a six-match unbeaten run (4-0-2). The Terrapins have opened Big Ten play with a pair of impressive wins, routing No. 8 Wisconsin, 3-0, before securing a 1-0 road win at Indiana this past weekend. Friday will mark just Maryland’s third road game of 2024. The Terrapins are 1-0-1 (.750) away from Ludwig Field this season.
Leon Koehl has spearheaded the attack for long-time Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski, firing home a team-best three goals, the most recent of which served as the game-winner in the Terrapins’ win over Indiana. William Kulvik, Colin Griffith, and Luke van Heukelum have each added two goals apiece to provide additional support in the attacking third. Graduate transfer Max Rogers has made an immediate impact for Cirovski’s team, piling up a team-high five assists, a mark that is tied for 11th nationally in Division I. Rogers assisted on all three goals in Maryland’s victory against Wisconsin.
Laurin Mack has seen the lion’s share of action in goal this season for the Terrapins. Mack owns a spotless 0.00 goals against average in league action, having posted shutouts in each of Maryland’s first two Big Ten matchups. Across seven appearances this season, all of which have come in a starting role, Mack sports a 0.77 goals against average that ranks third among conference netminders.
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and Maryland will meet for the 14th time on Friday evening, a series in which the Terrapins hold a 7-4-2 (.615) advantage in. Since the two teams became conference foes ahead of the 2014 season, the ‘Cats own a slight 5-4-1 (.550) edge in 10 matchups.
When Northwestern and Maryland met last season in College Park, Md., Collin McCamy (43′) and Christopher Thaggard (53′) found the back of the net, while Jackson Weyman racked up seven saves in goal as Northwestern earned a 2-0 road win at Ludwig Field.
UP NEXT
Northwestern ventures back out on the road on Tuesday, October 1 to take on Michigan State in a 7 p.m. (CT) matchup that will be broadcast live on Big Ten Network from DeMartin Stadium in East Lansing, Mich.
