After a 35-20 road loss to Rutgers on Saturday, Maryland football continues to unravel.

Despite a season-best rushing performance, the Terps allowed nearly 500 yards in their fifth straight defeat. Coach Michael Locksley said he is looking for “slow progress” and that Maryland is at the point of “playing for pride.”

Sports editor Sam Jane analyzed Locksley’s trajectory after dropping below .500 for the first time this season.

Our pick of the week

Maryland men’s soccer was ranked No. 1 in the nation last week for the first time since 2019. Sadam Masereka’s hat trick against Michigan State on Friday not only cemented a 4-3 Maryland win, but also capped its undefeated regular season and first Big Ten title in three years.

“To be undefeated in 2025 is a remarkable accomplishment,” Cirovski said. “While we did it in 2016, the college landscape has changed so much that this is incredibly rewarding.”

In under 35 minutes on Friday, Masereka became the first Maryland player to score a hat trick since October 2017, pushing his goal tally to nine.

Since taking over as coach in 1993, excellence has been the expectation for Cirovski and Maryland. But after trailing for just 78 seconds in this year’s regular season, it fell 2-0 to UCLA in Wednesday’s Big Ten Tournament semifinals at Ludwig Field.

Men’s soccer reporter Aidan Currie compiled four stats that encapsulate Maryland’s historic regular season, despite the Terps’ shocking loss to begin postseason play.

The highlight reel

• Maryland men’s basketball went 1-1 in its first homestand of 2025-26. The Terps beat Alcorn State on Tuesday after falling to Georgetown on Friday.
• Ever wondered why athletes have such odd superstitions? General assignment reporter Jillian Hartman spoke with coaches and players from Maryland baseball and gymnastics to find out why.
• Addi Mack engineered Maryland women’s basketball’s comeback win over Georgetown on Sunday, scoring 17 fourth-quarter points.
• Maryland field hockey dropped its Big Ten tournament opener against Ohio State and missed out on an NCAA tournament bid for the second time since 1994.
• Maryland baseball released its 2026 schedule on Friday.

Quote of the week

Redshirt freshman Andre Mills and freshman Darius Adams scored a combined 26 points in Maryland men’s basketball’s 84-64 win over Alcorn State on Tuesday.

Adams contributed two 3-pointers, his first makes from beyond the arc this season after shooting 0-for-7 in the Terps’ first two games. Mills spoke on watching his growth firsthand.

“[It felt] like a Disney movie,” Mills said. “[Adams] being 18 years old and playing in this league is not easy at all.”

Stat of the week

Maryland men’s basketball’s 70-60 loss to Georgetown on Friday snapped its 48-game home-opener win streak, which dated back to 1977.

Up next

Women’s basketball hosts Towson on Thursday at 7 p.m., while men’s basketball travels to Marquette, coach Buzz Williams’ former school, on Saturday at 2 p.m.
Football hits the road against Illinois at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The Terps are in danger of dropping their sixth straight.
Men’s soccer continues postseason play in the NCAA tournament, pending a bid in Monday’s Selection Show.

Sasho Cirovski has instilled that as the program’s identity since taking over as head coach in 1993. His three national championships and lineage of conference titles between the ACC and Big Ten indicated such. But much of that hardware was earned during the 2000s and 2010s.     

Entering the year, Maryland’s 2022 Big Ten regular season title marked its lone trophy of the decade. The Terps added a second conference championship this past weekend, and the undefeated No. 1 team in the country seems poised to capture even more hardware. 

With the Big Ten tournament starting on Wednesday, The Diamondback compiled four stats that encapsulate Maryland’s historically dominant regular season.

78: The number of seconds Maryland spent trailing

Yes, that says seconds, not minutes.

When the Terps visited Penn State in late September, opposing forward Christian Dionne scored in the 85th minute, giving his side a 2-1 lead. Maryland defender Lasse Kelp converted a match-equalizing free kick 78 seconds later.

That minute and 18 seconds — out of 1,350 total game minutes — was the only time Maryland trailed all season.

The Terps never fell behind in their nine matches at Ludwig Field — the same place where they’ll be hosting the Big Ten tournament. If Maryland earns a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament, it can make a run to mid-December’s College Cup without leaving College Park between now and then.

16: Combined goals between Sadam Masereka and Stephane Njike 

The striker position was an area of concern entering the season. 

Colin Griffith and Max Rogers shared that role a year ago, scoring a combined 10 goals. Griffith was indefinitely sidelined to start the year as he recovered from offseason surgery — with Cirovski saying in October that he doesn’t expect him to play at all this year — while Rogers ran out of eligibility.

[No. 1 Maryland men’s soccer clinches Big Ten title with 4-3 win over Michigan State]

The Terps still don’t have a natural striker in their starting lineup, but the production from wingers Masereka and Njike has quelled those concerns.

Masereka has made noticeable strides in his second season at the Division I level, scoring a team-high nine goals. After scoring against Maryland in last year’s NCAA tournament, Njike has delivered a seven-goal, seven-assist sophomore season.    

The pair inadvertently work in tandem despite occupying different flanks. When one draws several defenders to their respective wings, it often creates space for the other to make runs into the 18-yard box.   

+28: Maryland’s goal differential

No statistic quite encapsulates Maryland’s complimentary play this season than its goal differential. The Terps lead the Big Ten in that category and are tied for the sixth-best mark in the country.

It’s also notable by program standards.   

Maryland’s 2016 team — Cirovski’s only other undefeated regular season group — built its identity on offensive efficiency. Those Terps scored 53 goals in 21 matches. 

[Maryland men’s soccer’s goalkeeper is turning in a historically impressive season]

To this point, the Terps’ 2025 goals a game clip of 2.67 is actually higher, and they’ve managed that while holding opponents under a score per match, which the 2016 squad failed to do.

1,350: The minutes centerbacks Kelp and Tristen Rose have played together  

While Cirovski leaned on his depth to rotate his forwards and midfielders, he shied away from using reserves at center back. In fact, Kelp and Rose were Maryland’s only two non-goalkeepers to play every single minute this season.

The seniors were unproven at the Power Four level when the year began. Kelp transferred from nearby UMBC, while Rose arrived from Division II Charleston.

Kelp said he and Rose have built chemistry on the pitch by having similar interests off of it. They’ve validated that sentiment, forming arguably the best center back tandem in the Big Ten.

Maryland has allowed a conference-low 12 goals while keeping eight clean sheets overall — partially a testament to the stability that Kelp and Rose have provided.

Maintaining that level of consistency at perhaps the most physically demanding position on the field is bound to be a determining factor in the Terps’ postseason run.

All season, he’s been the driving force behind the No. 1 team in the nation’s offense. So it was only fitting it was his hat trick that cemented Maryland’s Big Ten title and undefeated regular season in its 4-3 win over Michigan State.

“To be undefeated in 2025 is a remarkable accomplishment,” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “While we did it in 2016, the college landscape has changed so much that this is incredibly rewarding.”

Masereka announced his breakthrough in College Park when Maryland faced Michigan State in its 11th game of the 2024 campaign. The then-junior rescued three points for Maryland with a game-winning score in the 83rd minute.

Masereka has since cemented himself as a cornerstone of Maryland’s prolific attack, and in Friday’s regular season finale — fittingly against the Spartans in East Lansing — epitomized his importance.

“Tonight, [Masereka] was rewarded for his great effort all year,” Cirovski said.

The senior became the first Terp to score a hat trick since October of 2017, and it took him less than 35 minutes to do. It pushed Masereka’s goal tally to nine, securing his claim as Maryland’s top scorer heading into the postseason, after he and sophomore Stephane Njike had shared the onus for much of the campaign.

[Maryland men’s soccer ranked No. 1 team in the NCAA, first time since 2019]

Masereka was the beneficiary of pinpoint passing for his game-opening score.

With Maryland trying to build many of its attacks from deep in the opening 25 minutes, goalkeeper Laurin Mack spent considerable time playing sideways passes to center backs Lasse Kelp and Tristen Rose. The sophomore keeper chose a more direct route in the 23rd minute.

Mack punted a long pass to defender Luca Costabile along the left flank. He controlled the lofted ball, before driving towards the goal and cutting inside slightly.

He played Masereka through on goal. His ensuing score — which saw the Terps go from one end of the pitch to the other in just around 10 seconds — gave Umberto Picotto his first of three assists.

Njike’s presence also created more opportunities for Masereka.

Michigan State committed multiple defenders toward the Terps’ left winger, when they worked frequent attacks down the left side. Drawing that attention opened up space for Masereaka along the opposite flank — a factor in all three Masereka scores.

Njike also got credited with a pair of assists on two of Masereaka’s goals but that connection went the opposite way in the 83rd minute. The senior right winger drove a tight-angled shot at goalkeeper Zac Kelly, who saved the effort toward the middle of the penalty area.

[Maryland men’s soccer’s goalkeeper is turning in a historically impressive season]

Njike had made a habit out of scoring with fancy finishes, but his lone score on Friday was much simpler. He tapped the deflected shot away from Kelly, and it gradually rolled into the bottom corner to give Maryland a 4-2 lead.

It ultimately became the deciding score when Oscar Huerta scored a third Spartans goal just several minutes later. The Terps seemed apt to soak up pressure at times throughout the second half, which naturally created more attacking opportunities for the Spartans.

Maryland entered Friday’s match with just nine goals conceded the entire regular season, and three goals against in a game marked its worst statistical performance of the year.

Defensive stability had been Maryland’s calling card throughout the regular season. Friday was a rare example in which it wasn’t, so naturally, its forwards took the reins with a championship-caliber display.

The German shot stopper has played every minute in goal this season, saving 83 percent of the shots he’s faced — the highest mark among Big Ten starting goalkeepers, and the 12th-best clip in the country.

Mack entered a Maryland program that’s produced esteemed professional goalkeepers such as Dayne St. Clair and Zack Steffen. In what’s been a historically impressive season so far, the sophomore is etching his name alongside his position’s predecessors.

Through 14 games, Mack has conceded 0.64 goals per game. He’s also kept eight clean sheets — which coach Sasho Cirovski describes as “team achievements” — while allowing just nine goals.

Intangibles have played a large role in Mack’s success this year.

“My English in the beginning [last season] wasn’t as great,” Mack said. “I definitely developed in that case.”

[Ever wondered why athletes have such odd superstitions? Maryland athletes, coaches explain]

With his vantage point of the whole field, Mack’s stronger grasp of the language has helped him improvecommunication with the defenders and midfielders in front of him.

In 2024, Mack faced a communication disadvantage as the Terps’ only foreign-born freshman to consistently start games. The four defenders that usually started in front of him were European upperclassmen who had already played multiple seasons in American college soccer.

The Terps’ starting back line this season has two Americans in Jace Clark and Tristen Rose. They play alongside senior international defenders Kelp and Luca Costabile.

English remains the common on-field language, even though Maryland features an abundance of starters from other countries. But when advantageous, Mack occasionally speaks to teammates in his native language.

“I’m telling [Kelp] quick little comments in German, and then he knows what to do, and opponents or the striker doesn’t know what we’re talking about,” Mack said.

The sophomore’s language development has fostered statistical improvements. But one of his best traits doesn’t appear in the box score.

Mack’s comfort level with the ball at his feet dates back to his youth, when he also played striker for his local club, FC Emmendingen. Mack played in goal regularly while in SC Freiburg’s academy.

[Meet Chuck Douglas, Maryland athletics’ most online fan]

Mack said his understanding of the goalkeeper position was also shaped by professionals such as Manuel Neuer and Ederson. Both embody the “sweeper keeper”, a term used to describe shot stoppers who are confident enough with the ball at their feet and can leave their goal to serve as an extra defender when needed.

Bringing in a goalkeeper like Mack was an obvious tactical fit for Cirovski and his staff.

Maryland plays a possession-based style of soccer, which is best suited for goalkeepers who can control the ball, deliver accurate passes and leave their 18-yard box. Having someone who can perform that role gives the Terps a numerical advantage in possession — essentially having 11 outfield players instead of 10.

Mack sometimes drifts well outside the penalty area to play passes alongside Terp defenders. In other instances, he sparks counter attacks by punting the ball upfield as teammates make runs in behind the opposing defense.

“I said to Sadam [Masereka] and Steph [Njike], ‘As soon as I have the ball, I’m going to try to find you guys, and you have to offer me something with runs,’” Mack said. “Normally, as soon as I have the ball, they know what to do.”

Mack committed to Maryland having never visited the campus. Less than two years into his Maryland career, that blind decision has clearly seemed to work out.

The unbeaten Terps took down then-No. 14 Washington, 1-0, last Friday thanks to a clutch goal from senior Albi Ndrenika. That was Maryland’s fifth ranked victory of the season, and its fourth ranked win in the past five matches.

Friday’s win also gave Maryland a two-point lead over the Huskies atop the Big Ten standings.

The Terps face Michigan State on the road Friday in the regular season finale. A win in East Lansing could ensure Maryland’s first conference title since 2022.

Maryland previously sat one spot behind Stanford, which held the top ranking for much of October. The Cardinal was upset by California last Friday.

The Terps steadily climbed up the rankings all season. They opened their campaign as the first team out of the national top-25 before teetering in and out of the receiving votes section for several weeks. This was despite a 4-0-1 start to the campaign.

[Maryland men’s soccer primed for Big Ten title after roster rebuild]

A 2-1 win over Pittsburgh on Sept. 19 propelled Maryland into the next week’s rankings at No. 23 overall. The Terps have moved up in every poll since.

Maryland joins Vermont — last year’s national champion — as the nation’s only two remaining undefeated teams. The Catamounts and Terps also sit first and second in ratings percentage index, respectively.

Maryland featured as the No. 6 team in the Division 1 committee’s early NCAA tournament projections from mid-October. That spot alone would grant the Terps a first-round bye, but wins over Ohio State, Indiana, and Washington in the three games since have also bolstered their postseason resume.

The Terps are seemingly in contention for a coveted top-four seed, which could see them host all of their prospective NCAA tournament fixtures until the semifinals.

But, as positive as the projections and rankings are, coach Sasho Cirovski’s focus remains on the quality of play.

“I don’t care about the rankings or record,” he said. “We just want to make sure that we’re starting to play our best soccer right now, and I think we’re in a pretty good place.”

“I’ve never had a season end in October,” Cirovski said, as results elsewhere had eliminated the Terps from Big Ten tournament contention. A dismal 4-1 loss to Ohio State five days later left Maryland winless in conference play, the first time under Cirovski’s coaching.

But two seasons removed from rock bottom, the No. 2 Terps are one win away from a regular-season Big Ten title and will likely be dubbed the No. 1 team in the nation when the rankings are updatedTuesday. It’s a seismic turnaround that’s been fueled by a complete roster overhaul.

As has often been the case this year, Maryland’s starting lineup from Friday’s 1-0 win over No. 14 Washington featured just two significant contributors from the 2023 team:Leon Koehl and Luca Costabile.

The latter — a multi-faceted left back — has donned the captain’s armband this year, having never missed a game in his career.

“He’s a very good player and that’s what earns him respect on the team,” Koehl said. “He might be not the loudest and flashiest player on the pitch, but people just look up to him.”

While Costabile is technically Maryland’s only captain, the Terps spread leadership responsibilities throughout the team. Koehl has been a vital piece of that leadership group for the past two seasons.

[Albi Ndrenika’s heroics give No. 2 Maryland men’s soccer 1-0 win over No. 14 Washington]

The 0-for-4 team record on penalties was one of many glaring issues during the program’s tumultuous 2023 season. Koehl has since gone 10-for-11 on spot kicks — a beacon of consistency in a nichely important element of the sport.

The third piece in the Terps’ developed leadership core is senior Albi Ndrenika. Medical impediments hindered his impact during his first two years, but the Maryland native has broken out during a fully healthy campaign.

Ndrenika has tallied a team-leading seven assists while scoring threegoals — none more timely than his score against Washington.

UMBC transfer Joseph Umberto Picotto — a 6-foot-2 attacking midfielder — won a header off a corner kick. He knocked the ball down to Ndrenika, who finished the goal.

Sadam Masereka supplied the initial cross into the box for that score. He and Stephane Njike make up the winger duo that flanks Ndrenika and Picotto.

Masereka transferred from Lindsey Wilson College ahead of the 2024 campaign, while Njike arrived from LIU this past offseason. Together, they’ve blossomed into Maryland’s primary scorers.

“I’ve got two of the fastest guys in the country in front of me, so whenever I get the ball, finding them is obviously always the first option,” Ndrenika said in reference to the wingers.

[No. 4 Maryland men’s soccer earns marquee win over No. 14 Indiana, 3-2]

Maryland’s 20 goals in 2023 were its fewest-ever by a Cirovski-led side. Attacking reinforcements have helped reverse that narrative, with the Terps scoring 33 last year and 36 through 14 matches in 2025.

A partially revamped defensive unit has been equally critically, holding opponents to 0.64 goals per game, after conceding 31 times a year ago.

It’s a testament to Maryland’s backline, which featured three new starters in transfers Lasse Kelp and Tristen Rose, and sophomore Jace Clark. Defensive midfielder Chris Steinleitner — now in his second year with the Terps — provides additional defensive cover. But goalkeeper Laurin Mack has rightfully earned ample credit for the turnaround as well.

Mack’s eight clean sheets are more than double the count he had last year. His save clip of 83.3 percent is 17.5 percentage points higher than the mark he set in 2024.

He only needed to make two stops against Washington, though one was a sprawling dive in the 58th minute to keep the match scoreless.

“Plays like that are momentum shifters,” Ndrenika said. “When you have that insurance policy in goal … it’s like having a brick wall in front of there.”

But amid the vast personnel turnover of the previous two years, Cirovski remains the constant — preaching the same principles of excellence that have kept Maryland a preeminent power for more than three decades.

The senior missed parts of his freshman season with a back injury and was sidelined for his entire sophomore campaign with a rare ailment that left doctors perplexed. Coach Sasho Cirovski thought Ndrenika may have to medically retire.

But the midfielder recovered. He’s remained healthy since his junior year in 2024 and been an integral piece for the Terps since. Friday may have been his crowning moment, though.

In the 82nd minute of a scoreless match, Ndrenika tapped in a shot from close range off a deflection — the game-winning goal as No. 2 Maryland beat No. 14 Washington, 1-0, at Ludwig Field. The Terps jumped the Huskies atop the Big Ten standings and are on the precipice of their first conference championship since 2022.

“Top three for sure,” Ndrenika said, when asked where the moment ranks in his Maryland career. “Maybe it’ll drop to four if we win the Big Ten next Friday.”

[Maryland men’s soccer held Indiana star Palmer Ault at bay in crucial victory]

Ndrenika’s score was fitting in a year he already boasts twice as many points as he has ever notched before.

He noted he didn’t entirely feel like himself despite playing most of last season. But after Maryland’s (11-0-3, 7-0-2 Big Ten) first three matches this season, he said it was the best he felt during his entire career.

He opened this season as the Terps’ lone attacking midfielder and has spent the majority of his time in that spot. The senior’s precise passing has been on display en route to a team-leading seven-assist campaign.

Cirovski has also positioned Ndrenika on the wing and recently moved him into a striker-like role — one that sees him rotate with Joseph Umberto Picotto as the center piece in Maryland’s front three.

Friday marked Ndrenika’s first goal from the rotating-striker position.

[No. 4 Maryland men’s soccer earns marquee win over No. 14 Indiana, 3-2]

“As I shifted to the nine this year, I just try to be on the end of a lot of second balls,” Ndrenika said. “Joseph’s doing very well with that, so when he went up for the ball, I was just like ‘Where can I put myself in a position to get this wherever it goes?’”

Ndrenika’s defensive effort also reflected against the Huskies (10-3-3, 7-2 Big Ten). He cleared a cross out of play just a few minutes after giving the Terps the lead.

Washington created one other significant scoring chance after that, which came seconds before the final buzzer.

Maryland defender Jace Clark tried dispossessing junior Harrison Bertos on the edge of the 18-yard box. Bertos fell as Clark made a play on the ball, prompting virtually every Washington player to shout for a penalty — and to a lesser extent, a standard foul — as the Terps rushed to celebrate at midfield.

The referee checked the screen and blew full time, without issuing any foul against Maryland.

On the Terps’ senior night, Friday’s result was aptly determined by Ndrenika and Umberto Picotto, who got the decisive goal and assist, respectively.

“When you have that much experience on the field and they know this is the final year of eligibility, it means a lot more,” Cirovski said. “There was a lot of push by the whole team to make sure they walked out of here with a smile on their face.”

“I’m gonna win it, so I don’t really worry about that,” Kelp said.

His proclamation proved true in Maryland’s 3-2 win over the Hoosiers Friday at Ludwig Field.

Ault’s only major contribution was an 81st-minute goal, which was ultimately inconsequential to the result. Outside of that, No. 4 Maryland’s backline thoroughly frustrated the senior forward — another respectable defensive showing in a season that’s been full of them.

“He’s a proven top college player, and he’s having the best year of his career,” coach Sasho Cirovski said. “We did a good job of kind of neutralizing him.”

Limiting Ault’s impact was a near-necessity for Maryland. The senior’s 15 goals — more than double the count of anyone else in the Big Ten — are a flashy complement to his eight assists.

[No. 4 Maryland men’s soccer earns marquee win over No. 14 Indiana, 3-2]

The Hoosiers had played seven conference games before this weekend’s trip to College Park, winning four. Ault totaled five goals and six assists across Indiana’s Big Ten victories but was held without a goal contribution in all three defeats.

His late goal Friday ultimately broke that trend, but the senior struggled before that point.

Kelp and fellow defender Tristen Rose completely stymied the star forward in the first half. Maryland’s center back tandem limited Ault to a pair of shots — one was an off-target header, while the other was a scuffed bicycle kick.

His lack of early production developed into frustration, eventually earning him a yellow card around the hour mark.

With Maryland leading 2-0, Kelp won his team a throw-in by dispossessing Ault along the near sideline. Kelp yelled in Ault’s face before Maryland captain Luca Costabile temporarily cooled tensions by stepping between the two.

Costabile lofted the ensuing throw-in to the 6-foot-3, 185-pound Kelp. Ault — at 5-foot-10 and 160 pounds — intentionally shoulder-checked Kelp, sparking a brief scuffle.

[5 numbers that could define Maryland men’s basketball’s season]

“It’s Maryland [and] Indiana on a Friday night in front of almost 6,000 people. There’s going to be heated moments,” Cirovski said. “One of the messages was that we have to stay composed and we have to be disciplined … our guys kept their composure very well.”

That incident was Ault’s most notable stamp on the game until a little more than 20 minutes later when he found a pocket of space and scored from a cross.

“That’s one of the few times that we actually lost him in the box,” Cirovski said.

Intelligent positioning has aided Ault’s prolific goalscoring. The senior typically gets his best offensive opportunities by lingering behind the defense. It’s a strategy that allows him to drift into the box unmarked.

Ault’s only other second-half shot came in that same fashion.

With Maryland leading 2-1, the Hoosiers drove an attack down the left flank, taking the ball all the way to the endline in the process. Maryland’s defenders were naturally drawn toward the ball, leaving Ault with an abundance of space near the edge of the 18-yard box.

Midfielder Jacopo Fedrizzi found Ault with a cutback pass. But as the forward took his one-touch shot, Kelp slid in front of the strike, blocking a potential game-tying score.

Contributions like those have seen Maryland limit opponents to nine goals, its best defensive stretch through the opening 13 games since 2021.

Indiana’s two second-half scores were indicative of Maryland’s occasional defensive lapses. But by holding the highest-scoring team in the Big Ten to those two goals — while keeping Ault in check for 80 minutes — Kelp ultimately met the lofty expectations he had set earlier in the week.

The senior defender was near midfield and had his back toward the goal, yet Hoosier defender Ben Do delivered a yellow-card-worthy slide tackle that left Costabile writhing on the grass for several minutes.

After the game, coach Sasho Cirovski said there was a point where he thought the Maryland captain would be out for the remainder of the match. But Costabile never had a doubt about his status.

“He got me pretty bad. My ankle is pretty destroyed,” Costabile said afterwards, as red blood stains seeped through his white sock just above his swollen right ankle. “But I was like, ‘There’s no chance I’m gonna get out. I gotta finish the game. I gotta score a goal, and we’ve got to win today.’”

Costabile did all three.

Less than 10 minutes after Do’s reckless slide tackle, Costabile fired No. 4 Maryland into a 14th-minute lead with a left-footed strike that slipped between the goalkeepers’ hands. That first-half score proved crucial as Maryland took down Indiana, 3-2, at home on Friday.

It was the Terps’ (10-0-3, 6-0-2 Big Ten) fourth ranked win of the season, and they did so in front of over 5,800 fans — Ludwig Field’s largest crowd in over seven years.

[Buzz Williams tempers expectations at Maryland men’s basketball’s media day]

“That’s one of the biggest crowds we’ve had this late in the year in a long time,” Cirovski said.

Earlier in the week, Cirovski said he felt like the Terps hadn’t played up to their “level in possession” in recent games. Indiana’s high-pressing forwards made that issue difficult to correct in the first half.

Palmer Ault, Collins Oduro and Colton Swan aggressively fought to win possession from Maryland’s defenders. That culminated in Indiana taking the match’s first three shots before the Terps grabbed a more controlled share of possession starting around the 10-minute mark.

Costabile’s early conversion then kickstarted Maryland’s offensive blitz. The Terps took five shots in less than four minutes. Goalkeeper Judewellin Michel only saved one of those, though that’s all that was required from him.

Two of the attempts sailed off target, then senior Sadam Masereka nailed the crossbar with another look. Forward Stephane Njike also dribbled around Michel to create a shot, but took a few too many touches, allowing an Indiana defender enough time to race back and clear the ball off the goal line.

Over-dribbling has plagued Njike’s game at times this season. The sophomore is typically the most skillful player on the field. It’s a style that helped him amass five goals and four assists entering Friday.

[Brenda Frese highlights health, newcomers at Maryland women’s basketball media day]

Much of Njike’s game is predicated on knowing when to pass, shoot or take another shot. It wasn’t fully clicking in Friday’s first half, but the sophomore found a rhythm after the break.

He assisted Masereka’s 58th-minute score with a 30-yard through ball, before chipping Michel in the 75th minute for Maryland’s final score of the evening.

“He’s still such an unpredictable player sometimes, and sometimes his own teammates don’t know when they might get on the end of a pass,” Cirovski said.

Njike’s goal was insurance at the time, but ultimately proved crucial given the Hoosiers’ heightened pressure over the final 30 minutes. Indiana turned that into a pair of goals, both of which cut two-goal Maryland leads in half.

Ault delivered the second of those two scores. He entered Friday with 14 goals — double the tally of anyone else in the Big Ten — and eight assists, but Maryland’s back line greatly limited his involvement.

The prolific forward had just two shots at halftime, neither of which threatened sophomore goalkeeper Laurin Mack. Ault’s goal in the 81st minute made the final stretch of Friday’s game competitive, but the Terps quelled Indiana’s late pressure.

Defensive potence had been Maryland’s calling card in nearly every game at Ludwig Field this season. Friday was the first time the Terps allowed multiple goals in a home match in almost exactly two months.

But in a complementary display, Masereka and Njike — Maryland’s top two scorers — provided timely second-half goals, while Costabile delivered a tenacious performance that spoke to the magnitude of Friday’s result.

The Terps’ short-handed win against Ohio State on Saturday was their fourth consecutive shutout.

A win or draw this Friday against No. 14 Indiana and Maryland matches its best start to a season since its unbeaten 13-match run in 2017. That season, the Terps lost five of their final six matches and tied the other after the extended winning streak. All signs this year point toward a much better final stretch.

Winning without Koehl and Steinleitner

Midfielder Leon Koehl’s absence from Maryland’s starting lineup was detrimental in 2024.

The Terps went 9-2-4 in games Koehl started last season. They were outscored 13-2 and lost in thefour games he didn’t start.
Saturday’s win over Ohio State was the first time Koehl was unavailable since missing Maryland’s season-opener against Georgetown. Defensive midfielder Chris Steinleitner’s absence compounded the issue.

With the pair out, coach Sasho Cirovski tweaked Maryland’s starting lineup.

He shifted Joseph Umberto Picotto from an attacking midfield role to the box-to-box position that Koehl typically occupies. Freshman Farouk Cisse had served as the Terps’ reserve right back for most of the year, but notched his first collegiate start Saturday at defensive midfield.

[No. 8 Maryland men’s soccer stays unbeaten, blanks Ohio State 4-0]

Cirovski said he was pleased with both performances. Picotto recorded a goal and an assist, while Cisse helped shield a back line that delivered its seventh shutout of the year.

A lack of depth — particularly in the midfield — was a major piece in Maryland’s late-season collapse last year. Saturday’s win was further proof that the Terps have addressed that defect.

The Unstoppable Force vs. the Immovable Object

Shutouts mostly get credited to goalkeepers, but Cirovski described it as a team stat after the Terps’ 4-0 win over the Buckeyes. Maryland’s recent run of clean sheets — a pair of which came against ranked opponents — are indicative of the team’s growth.

The Terps have held conference opponents to just three goals from open play, silencing some of the Big Ten’s elite goal scorers in the process. But on Friday, they’ll face Indiana forward Palmer Ault, who boasts twice as many goals as any other player in the Big Ten.

The now-senior starred early in his career, leading Butler in both goals and assists during his freshman campaign. He mostly flew under the radar during the previous two seasons, posting serviceable offensive numbers for a largely underwhelming Bulldogs team.

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Ault has not only rekindled, but improved upon his freshman year form with 14 goals and eight assists with the Hoosiers. He leads the nation with 36 points and has recorded at least three points in each of his last four matches.

At 5-foot-10, Ault’s dynamic skillset is largely dependent on his knack for drifting into open spaces. The senior is also a precise finisher with both feet in scoring positions — a primary reason he’s a near lock to finish as the Big Ten’s leading scorer this year.

But Ault hasn’t faced a defensive unit like Maryland this season.

Centerbacks Lasse Kelp and Tristen Rose have reduced opponents’ scoring chances by pressuring them in possession and blocking shots — a contradiction to the space creation that’s made Ault so efficient this year.

The battle between Ault and the Terps’ centerbacks adds another layer to a clash featuring Big Ten and NCAA tournament implications.

“The rivalry with Indiana is the one that’s the most special at this point, because we’re in a league together and we’re both nationally relevant every year,” Cirovski said. “This is clearly one of the games of the year.”