With more than two months gone in the collegiate men’s soccer season, No. 4 Maryland remains the only undefeated power-conference team in the nation. It’s one of just four Division I teams that can stake that claim.

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.

[Maryland men’s soccer’s defense takes a step up on home turf]

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.”