After being shutout in its first two preseason contests, the Georgetown men’s soccer team (0-2-0, Big East) will look to gain its first favorable result of the year when it travels to College Park to face No. 7 Maryland (1-0-1, Big Ten) on Friday night. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
This is the third consecutive season that Georgetown and Maryland have squared off. Georgetown won the meetings in 2015 and 2014 by scores of 2-1 and 1-0, respectively. Despite the Hoyas’ recent success against the Terps, Georgetown Head Coach Brian Wiese feels as though this year’s Maryland squad is the most versatile and dominant iteration his team has ever faced.
“In all honesty, this is probably the best Maryland team they’ve had since I’ve been (at Georgetown),” Wiese said. “They play with that stereotypical Maryland fervor, high-energy and quality. I think this team is as good as any I’ve seen.”
Maryland’s quality will not be completely novel to the Hoyas, as the team opened its season on the road against No. 1 Akron, losing on a broken-down set piece in the 90th minute.
“I thought the guys played hard, focused, and they really gave a great effort out there,” Wiese remarked on his team’s opening loss. “These are the things that we’re going to be able to draw on later in the season. These games are very important.”
The Blue and Gray faced an identical situation last season, entering Labor Day Weekend without recording a goal and a facing a tough matchup against a top-ranked opponent. In 2015, the Hoyas, who started 0-3-0, defeated No. 1 UCLA to begin their unprecedented 18-game unbeaten streak. Both Wiese and returning players hope to draw upon last year’s experience in order to rebound from this year’s slow start.
“We (learned) to just not get stressed,” said sophomore goalkeeper and captain JT Marcinkowski. “Every team hits their peaks and valleys… we’re starting out pretty low, but we’re only going to go up from here.”
Coach Wiese echoed Marcinkowski’s thoughts, saying the team doesn’t need to “panic and try to reinvent the wheel” in order to gain a result against Maryland.
“The guys are going to figure it out and the season will hit its stride,” Wiese added.
The challenge in front of the team is undeniable. Nevertheless, while some might find the prospect of starting the season 0-3-0 daunting, the Hoyas see Friday’s matchup with Maryland as a unique opportunity.
“I’m excited, it’s going to be fun playing in front of a big crowd,” said Marcinkowski. “I think it’s kind of going to be us against their entire team and crowd… it’s a good challenge, and even though they’re powerful, I think we’ll be fine.”
“We just need to go out there and be good,” added Wiese. “When you take a step back, it’s a great game for our guys. If we can find a way to go to their ground and get a result, it would be an unbelievable feather in our cap. It’s a hell of a test.”
