Maryland men’s soccer vs. Indiana preview

Written By ApurbaDa September 19, 2024 Add Comment

The Terps hit the road for the first time in nearly a month.

Maryland men’s soccer is looking to build on the momentum of its biggest victory of the season — a 3-0 win over then-No. 8 Wisconsin — on Friday night at Indiana.

The Terps will play on the road for the first time since their season opener on Aug. 22. The game will be the first of two-straight road games, with Maryland traveling to No. 14 Northwestern next Friday.

The game will kick-off at 7 p.m. and be broadcasted on Big Ten Network.

Indiana Hoosiers (2-2-3, 1-0-0 Big Ten)

The Hoosiers are a constant presence at the top of the Big Ten men’s soccer table, winning four Big Ten Tournaments in the last six years.

Although it struggled in nonconference play — winning just one of six nonconference games — Indiana remains a danger in the Big Ten, defeating Rutgers, 1-0, last Friday.

Indiana is one of the only programs with a winning record against the Terps under 32-year head coach Sasho Cirovski, as Maryland is 5-8-8 against the Hoosiers during his tenure.

Players to watch

Tommy Mihalic, senior forward, No. 10 — Indiana has scored just seven goals through the first seven games. More than half of them have come from Mihalic. He has scored four times, including the deciding goal against Rutgers, along with an assist. Mihalic will be the primary focus of Maryland’s defense Friday.

JT Harms, graduate goalie, No. 1 — Fresh off a second-team All-Big Ten selection, Harms picked up right where he left off, getting off to an impressive start in 2024. Highlighted by a seven-save performance against Butler, Harms has made 18 saves and allowed just eight goals this year.

Justin Weiss, graduate forward, No. 7 — Weiss, a transfer from Northwestern, has yet to produce thus far in 2024 as he has been working his way back from an injury. That being said, his record of production with the Wildcats earned him two first-team All-Big Ten nods, and the threat of him regaining his form against the Terps is enough to make him a player to gameplan around.

Strength

Experience. The Hoosiers have just two players in their starting 11 with less than three years of collegiate experience. Maryland will be facing off against a team that has seen plenty of high-stakes Big Ten action and aren’t likely to be taken by surprise easily.

Weakness

Goalscoring. The Hoosiers are talented on offense but have not been able to produce as such, scoring just one goal per game. If Indiana wants to win, it will have to produce goals against a stout Maryland defensive unit that looked better than ever against Wisconsin last Friday.

Three things to watch

1. How will the Terps travel? Maryland’s lone road game thus far in 2024 was its season opener, which took place 45 minutes away at UMBC. This will be its first true road test against what should be a rowdy Indiana crowd.

2. Cirovski’s tactics. After realizing their best offensive performance of the year against Wisconsin, it stands to reason that Cirovski will return to the 4-3-3 formation that helped the Terps produce prolifically. However, Cirovski has consistently stated that he values formations and systems far less than “principles of play,” so this facet of the game will certainly be something to monitor.

3. Can Griffith keep scoring? Colin Griffith has potted two beautiful goals in Maryland’s last two games. He will likely lead the Terps up top again on Friday, and if he can remain in his recent form, it will provide a massive offensive boost.

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