NCAA Tournament quarterfinals preview: No. 4-seed Maryland men’s soccer vs. Washington

While No. 4-seed Maryland men’s soccer’s lineup is largely veteran — eight of its starting 11 are upperclassmen — its third-round victory over No. 13-seed UConn was largely fueled by a shiny young star.

Rocket Ritarita has been one of the most promising names in college soccer despite struggling throughout most of Big Ten play. But the freshman sensation has elevated his level during the NCAA Tournament. After scoring the Terps’ lone goal in the second round, Ritarita totaled a first-half goal and assist on Saturday.

His play was overall reflective of Maryland’s best performance in some time. While the Terps won their final three games of the regular season, their lead never really felt safe. Maryland defeated then-No. 14 Indiana, then-No. 14 Washington and Michigan State by one goal.

The Terps’ 3-0 win over UConn was their largest margin of victory since Oct. 18. Despite Maryland’s backline remaining sturdy early on, its defense was leaky heading into the NCAA Tournament. But the Terps solidified those struggles with their first shutout in over a month.

Now, Maryland will need to turn the page to its quarterfinal matchup against Washington on Saturday. The Terps are three wins away from a national championship, but will need to avoid tripping up against a red-hot Huskies’ squad. The game starts at 1 p.m. and airs on ESPN+.

What happened last time

While the regular season meeting on Halloween didn’t have many fireworks, it still produced an entertaining back-and-forth affair. Ultimately, Maryland netted the game’s only score in the 82nd minute, resulting in its first-place finish in the Big Ten regular season standings.

Sadam Masereka whipped in a dangerous delivery from the edge of the box. Washington goalie Jadon Bowton charged out of the net to corral the floating cross, but Joseph Umberto Picotto’s presence jarred the ball loose. Albi Ndrenika pounced on the empty-net opportunity.

The goal was evidence of the Terps’ increased emphasis on positional awareness in the box. Despite the unorthodox lead up to the score, Maryland’s poaching mentality in the box paid dividends.

Despite the relatively even shot total — Maryland had 17 shots compared to Washington’s 10 — the first half was largely one-sided.

The Huskies sat back in a defensive shell for much of the opening 45 minutes, creating problems for the Terps’ front three. But Stephane Njike nearly broke the scoreless drought in the 20th minute, banging his effort off the post on a wonderful feed from Masereka.

With both sides searching for the game-winner in the second half, the match opened up significantly. After only five combined shots in the opening period, Maryland and Washington combined for 22 shots in the latter half.

But the majority of the Huskies’ best looks were shut down by Lasse Kelp and Tristen Rose, providing timely blocks and tackles to halt the Huskies’ growing momentum. A late penalty review was deemed not a foul, claiming the Terps all three points.

What’s happened since

While Maryland capped off its unbeaten regular season with a title-clinching victory over Michigan State, the Terps showed signs of their imperfections in the Big Ten Tournament. UCLA dealt Maryland its first loss of the campaign, and it was a lifeless performance.

That defeat was enough to wake up the Terps.

Despite needing penalty kicks to eliminate North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament second-round, Maryland is arguably the best remaining team in the field — outside of just seeding. The Terps’ commanding victory over UConn was evidence of that.

After falling to Maryland, Washington’s slide continued in its ensuing two games. The Huskies were thrashed by UCLA and held scoreless against Michigan in the conference tournament, potentially docking its NCAA ranking.

But Washington appears to have righted the ship. A double-overtime thriller in its opening round against Oregon State built some momentum for the Huskies to narrowly upset No. 5-seed SMU and No. 12-seed Stanford.

With seeding tossed out the window — Maryland and Georgetown are the top remaining teams on their respective side of the draw — the national champion is up for grabs. The Terps and the Huskies are the Big Ten’s last options to hoist the trophy, but one will be eliminated on Saturday.

Three things to watch

1. Washington’s revenge. It’s not often you run into a Big Ten foe in the NCAA Tournament, especially with the parity in college soccer — six conferences are represented in the final eight teams. But the top two Big Ten regular season teams reunite. The Huskies will hope for a different result in their third trip to College Park.

2. Who is the hero? While Washington is unseeded in the tournament, it was likely the biggest snub from the top-16. Saturday’s contest has all the makings of a nailbiter. With such a slim margin between the two sides, one player could decide the outcome. For the Terps, that player could be anyone, ranging from Stephane Njike to Laurin Mack.

3. Health concerns. Despite its near two-week break between tournaments, Maryland has suffered some injuries in the postseason. Jace Clark played limited minutes against North Carolina, but was held out of action on Saturday. Leon Koehl also missed last match. Umberto Picotto’s in-game knock appears significant, potentially sidelining him for the remainder of the season.

from Testudo Times https://ift.tt/FXWVLhH