Georgetown Men’s Soccer (4-2-2, 0-0-0 BIG EAST) defeated the Maryland Terrapins (3-2-3, 0-0-2 BIG 10) on Wednesday afternoon 2-1. This victory marked the Hoyas’ first ever home win against the Terps, following last year’s away win in College Park. With these two successive victories, Georgetown has slowly started to whittle away at the lopsided record between the two rivals, which now stands at 2-28-1.
The Hoyas were led by junior forward Alex Muyl, who had a goal and an assist on the day, and sophomore midfielder Arun Basuljevic, who scored the late go-ahead goal in the 83rd minute.
The Terps came out hot, and the first half was dominated by Maryland. Georgetown was on the defensive early, depending on superstar junior defender Joshua Yaro, who recently returned from injury, for clearance.
Maryland pressed from whistle to whistle, leaving the Hoyas with no time to breathe and reset. It was not just a fast pace; it was a sprint. Led by the play of senior midfielder Mael Corboz and freshman forward Sebastian Elney, the Terrapins relentlessly exploited their athletic style of play against a Hoya team that had some tired legs.
“The first half went how Maryland probably wanted the game to go,” said Georgetown Head Coach Brian Wiese. “They were pressing very high and they’re very athletic..”
The incessant Terrapin press made it difficult for the Hoyas to string even the simplest chain of passes together. Maryland simply would not allow the ball to leave the Hoya’s third of the field.
“Once we were able to get the ball into their half, we were OK,” Wiese said.
When they were able to break through the press, Muyl and senior forward Brandon Allen played off each other to create the few Hoya chances. However, the Terrapin defense, which had not allowed a goal in Maryland’s last three games, did not give up any clean shots.
“Their right back is one of the fastest guys in the country,” Muyl said.
“They’re probably the most athletic team in the country,” Wiese added.
The Terps were lightning fast getting back, and even faster on the counter.
“They were effective in disrupting us in terms of what we were building” Wiese said. “As a result, it was very disjointed. It was about kicking up second balls. They had a lot of numbers in the middle of the midfield…The tempo of the game was very different from some of the other ones we just played.”
Luckily for the Hoyas, Maryland squandered their only opportunities. In the 19th minute, Terrapin freshman forward Eryk Williamson wasted a one-on-one with Hoya freshman keeper J.T. Marcinkowski. The dribble-happy Williamson was too slow taking the shot, allowing the Hoya defense to catch up and force him to the end line, where they then wrestled out a turnover. Williamson lost another opportunity in a crowded box in the 33rd, again taking too long with his dribbles, forfeiting the chance for a shot.
While Williamson was unable to take any shots, his teammate, senior midfielder Tsubasa Endoh, was busy pulling the trigger too frequently. Unfortunately for Maryland, Endoh could not keep the ball down, causing most of his balls to sail harmlessly over the bar.
After Maryland’s inability to capitalize on their dominant play early, the second half was a much different story. To begin, Georgetown came attacking out of the gate with early shots from Allen and Basuljevic, forcing saves from Maryland junior keeper Cody Niedermeier.
Muyl finally broke through in the 53rd minute, beating his defender to the far post after a nifty touch from Basuljevic from the right side to give the Hoyas a 1-0 lead.
Photo: Georgetown Sports Information
“Basically we turned them over at midfield and it was a fast break situation. Arun found me with a great pass that cut out the defender and then it was just me and the goalie. I stayed composed and slotted it,” Muyl said.
The fiery Muyl did not let up after the goal. He kept charging towards the box to create chances for Basuljevic and Allen, taking hits from crowds of Terrapin defenders in the process.
While Maryland dominated the first half with aggression, Georgetown responded in a similar fashion in the second half. The Hoya’s mindset is especially evident in the disparity in shots per half. Maryland had 6 to Georgetown’s 3 in the 1st, but the Hoyas fired back with a whopping 13 shots to the Terps’ 7 in the second.
Maryland tied the game in the 69th minute on the only ball to escape star freshman goalkeeper JT Marcinkowski. Marcinkowski dove to corral a shot, knocking it away from the net, but Elney wrestled the ball away before the Hoya keeper could grab the rebound. Elney dribbled around Marcinkowski and softly tapped it in for an easy goal.
After the equalizer, Muyl and Basuljevic continued to flash the chemistry they shared all game. Eventually, the two teammates combined for another goal as they reversed roles. This time, Basuljevic deposited a perfectly placed through ball from Muyl from the right side into the back of the net with a one-time strike in the 83rd minute.
Muyl and Basuljevic were aided by Yaro, who tore down the field alone to the roar of a crowd that had missed their star for the beginning of the season. Yaro’s lone venture upfield on the day set up the Muyl-Basuljevic combination, appeasing hungry Hoya fans with the unique combination of strength and speed they had last seen from Yaro in 2014.
After the go-ahead goal, the Hoyas managed to clear out any Maryland chances and hold on to claim a signature win heading into conference play. The magnitude of this triumph is not lost on the team.
“I think that’s a really good way to go into conference play,” Muyl remarked. “We needed to be on the front foot after a slow start to the season. I’m really happy with the way we’re playing right now.”
But there was a little something extra in this game, something more than just a Big East primer.
Veterans like Muyl and senior defender Keegan Rosenberry, who had little to no bench time to rest, fought through fatigue with a unique fervor, often finding themselves the first down the field and the first back.
“I think everyone is kind of feeling it a little bit after four games in two weeks,” Muyl said. “I think that when you’re playing Maryland, a game that you want to win, you don’t focus on it. You start cramping a bit, but mentally you’re still there.”
Athletes and coaches alike are well aware of the history between the two teams, and well aware that it is being rewritten.
“There was a stat going into my sophomore year that we were 0-28-1,” Muyl said. “No one on this team has lost to Maryland. For us, it’s a different stat.”
The Hoyas will kickoff Big East play on Saturday, September 26th at Shaw Field. The Blue and Gray are set to clash with the Providence Friars (4-2-1, 0-0-0 BIG EAST) at 1:00 p.m.
