Maryland men’s soccer was named the No. 1 team in the NCAA on Tuesday, the Terps’ first time atop the national poll since the 2019 preseason.
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.”
