Following a two-game road trip to play VCU and West Virginia, in which the Hoyas went 1-0-1, the Georgetown men’s soccer team (3-2-2, Big East) prepares to host No. 11 Maryland Terrapins (3-1-3, Big Ten) on Wednesday at 4:00 p.m. on Shaw Field.
This will be the Hoyas’ third game in the last seven days. On Thursday, the team managed a draw against VCU in a lengthy double overtime game. They quickly recovered on Sunday, beating West Virginia by a score of 3-1. The grueling stretch is far from over, however. Following Wednesday’s game, the Hoyas will welcome Providence (4-2-1, Big East) to town, marking the start of conference play.
Stamina and fatigue will certainly play a role in this matchup of rivals. Maryland last played on Friday, giving them two extra days of rest in preparation for the game. Despite this fact, Georgetown Head Coach Brian Wiese made no excuses.
“We feel that we have enough quality and enough depth throughout the team to tackle that kind of stepping stone,” Wiese said regarding the quick turnaround. “It’s something we were aware of when the schedule was put together”.
Maryland enters Wednesday’s game ranked 11th in the nation, thanks in large part to the stellar play of their defense. Through seven games, Maryland has shut out its opponent five times, and only allowed a total of three goals on the year.
Much like the Hoyas, the Terps beat UCLA and lost to Akron earlier this year. Wiese noted that Maryland has many talented players on their team and described their style of play as both “unique” and “fun”.
Although Maryland presents a new set of challenges for Georgetown, the team will look to stick with the game plan that has brought them success in the past.
“We feel pretty strongly that it’s really about how we handle our own game,” Wiese said. “That stays the same for any given opponent that comes in”.
While facing Maryland will certainly be a good test for the Hoyas, they are excited to renew the rivalry with their Beltway foes. When these two teams have gotten together in the past, the games have been nothing short of spectacular. While discussing the rivalry, Wiese recalled the 2012 College Cup Semi-Final, where Georgetown defeated Maryland 4-3 in a penalty shootout.
“I think if you talk to anyone who was there, it was one of the best games of college soccer you could find”.
With Big East play on the horizon, Wiese and the Hoyas will looks to gain some momentum before facing off against their conference foes. But first, the focus is on Maryland.
“We’re excited to rekindle the relationship.”
