Maryland Grabs Its Sixth In A Row Against Hartwick

Dec 13, 2013; Chester, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers midfielder Jordan Allen (8) fights for the ball with Maryland Terrapins midfielder Tsubasa Endoh (31) at PPL Park. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Maryland men’s soccer continued their winning streak on Tuesday as they scored a season high five goals against Hartwick College in a 5-2 victory.

David Kabelik scored twice off the bench, with Mael Corboz, Tsubasa Endoh, and Dan Metzger adding goals as well. Marc Berry and Ross MacKinnon added two goals for Hartwick to make the final 5-2 in favor of Maryland. The Terps were in control until late in the second half, but managed to find two late goals to increase the scoreline to three.

Rutgers transfer, Mael Corboz, got Maryland started at the thirty minute mark of the first half. Corboz and Eticha played a well worked give and go that led Corboz into the box. The junior took on two defenders and rocketed a shot into the upper ninety of the near post. While the give and go helped to create the chance, it was Corboz individual skill that took advantage of the opportunity. After starting the season with four goals from the penalty spot, Corboz has now scored three goals in play to bring his team leading total to seven goals.

The first half was sloppy for Maryland as they struggled at times to break down Hartwick’s defense. Corboz showed off his individual skill to get the lead, and Kabelik followed it up less than five minutes later with some skill of his own. Jereme Raley feed Kabelik the ball at the top of the box on the right hand side with his back to goal. Kabelik faked toward the middle of the box, then turned and fired to the near post beating Hartwick keeper Tom Buckner. Both first half goals were products of the talent difference between both teams. Maryland was sloppy, but their talent was able to get them a 2-0 halftime lead.

Coach Cirovski tightened things up coming out of halftime as Maryland dominated the opening minutes of the second half with several opportunities on net. Freshman Jake Areman of Colts Neck High School in New Jersey entered the game in the second half and immediately made a positive impact. Areman still needs to put on some muscle to become an effective Big Ten midfielder, but against an overmatched Hartwick team he was able to show off his ability. He created several opportunities that weren’t converted, and then in the sixty sixth minute he delivered a beautiful lead pass to Tsubasa Endoh. Areman’s pass split two defenders and left Endoh one on one with Buckner, who had no shot of stopping the veteran Endoh. This was Endoh’s second goal of the season, and a couple of minutes later he missed a chance for another on a free kick. Tsubasa delivered a free kick from the right side that just missed the upper left hand ninety.

At this point in the night, with a three goal lead it looked like Maryland was going to cruise to their sixth win of the season. On the winning streak, Maryland has done a great job of limiting turnovers but on Tuesday they showed how costly they can be. Mikias Eticha struggled the entire night was ball control and passing, and in the seventy second minute he made a costly back heel pass that was picked off by a Hartwick player. The transition opportunity was converted into a goal by Merc Berry who beat Zack Steffen about twenty yards away from goal. Steffen had a bad beat on the ball and thought he would beat Berry to it, instead he ended up twenty yards outside the goal with the ball behind him dribbling towards the net.

Ten minutes later Hartwick earned a free kick just outside the box. Junior Ross MacKinnon stepped up and converted the free kick for his first goal of the season to cut the Maryland lead to 3-2. MacKinnon’s free kick was extremely well taken as he got it over the wall and to curl just under the cross bar. Two players stepped up to take the free kick, which helped to delay Steffen’s jump on the ball, but with how it was taken it would have been one of the best saves of Steffen’s career to get to the ball. With under eight minutes left in a game that was well in hand for Maryland, it was now much closer.

Maryland quickly regrouped and took advantage of the pressing Hartwick team. David Kabelik scored his second goal of the game with less than four minutes left to push the lead back to two. Kabelik fought off two defenders in the box, once again getting the ball with his back to net and making a turn to the goal. Hartwick had subbed off Buckner in favor Mateo Munarriz, either way neither keeper would have been able to deny Kabelik, who did well to slip the ball to the far post.

Dan Metzger has been having a great senior season and continued to show on Tuesday night why he is a fun player to watch. He controls the midfield with ease, hardly ever feeling pressure from opposing teams, and helps to run the offensive possessions. Much like a point guard in control of a game, Metzger works at his pace and hardly makes a bad decision or a pass the will lead a teammate into trouble. In the closing minute of the game, Metzger put a couple of nifty dribbles together shaking off two defenders before being taken down in the box with fifteen seconds left. Sasho rewarded Metzger by letting him take the penalty kick, which he converted for his third goal of the season.

With the 5-2 win on Tuesday night, Maryland’s winning streak is up to six games and their overall record to 9-5-2. The Terrapins have finished their regular season non-conference schedule with a 6-3-1 record. Up next Maryland faces Ohio State in a critical Big Ten game on Saturday. The Buckeyes drew to Kentucky on Tuesday 1-1, and will enter Saturday’s game with twelve points in the Big Ten and second in the standings. Maryland trails the Buckeyes by two points with two games left for second place, and they trail Penn State by five points for first place. Maryland is tied for fourth with Indiana with ten points, just ahead of them is Michigan State with eleven points. The Spartans play host to Michigan on Sunday, Penn State travels to Northwestern on Sunday, and Indiana plays Wisconsin on Saturday.

Maryland Starters vs Hartwick

GK: Zack Steffen

Def: Alex Crognale, Mikey Ambrose, Jereme Raley, Chris Odoi-Atsem

Mid: Dan Metzger, Mael Corboz, Tsubasa Endoh, Michael Sauers

For: George Campbell, Mikias Eticha

Goals: Corboz – 30′ (7) Kabelik – 35′, 87′ (3) Endoh – 66′ (2) Metzger – 89′ (3)