No. 4-seed Maryland men’s soccer advances to NCAA Tournament quarterfinal with 3-0 win over No. 13-seed UConn

Injuries derailed last season’s Maryland men’s soccer team from a potential deep postseason run, limping into the NCAA Tournament. But head coach Sasho Cirovski has preached that this squad has the personnel to overcome some critical absences.

Shorthanded without two key starters for most of the match, the No. 4-seed Terps needed someone off the bench to shine Saturday afternoon. Against No. 13-seed UConn, that player was freshman phenom Rocket Ritarita.

In his first 12 minutes of the match, Ritarita contributed to both of Maryland’s first-half scores. The freshman set up a chance for Albi Ndrenika and scored himself minutes later in the Terps’ 3-0 third-round victory. Maryland will now play in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2018.

After a promising nonconference slate — three goals and an assist in the first four games — Luke van Heukelum has been battling for minutes throughout Big Ten play. But the junior forward added an insurance goal late in the match for his first score in nearly three months.

Leon Koehl has been a staple in the Terps’ midfield since his arrival in College Park. But for just the third time all season, Koehl was forced to miss Saturday’s contest. Kenny Quist-Therson replaced him in the center for his first start of the season.

Without Koehl in the lineup, Maryland’s midfield looked like a shell of itself early on. The Terps struggled to build through their midfield trio, getting dispossessed on a number of occasions.

It got even worse for Maryland in the 25th minute. Joseph Umberto Picotto went down with a non-contact injury and limped off the pitch. In his absence, Ndrenika shifted back into his preferred attacking midfield role, with Ritarita subbing into the match up front.

That tactical switch played dividends just 82 seconds later.

Ritarita dribbled down the left wing and fired a dangerous shot to the far post. While UConn goalie Kyle Durham got his gloves on the shot, the ball landed just in front of the net. Ndrenika was the man at the right spot, tapping in the easy goal for the Terps’ first of the match.

Despite a strong start to his freshman campaign, Ritarita seems to be playing his best soccer in his first NCAA Tournament. The freshman posted Maryland’s lone goal in a shootout victory last weekend against North Carolina.

While Ritarita was denied the game-winner in the second round, he furthered his case to be one of the top freshmen in the country on Saturday.

Ritarita weaved his way through the traffic in the 37th minute. With a UConn defender quickly closing in the space, Ritarita unleashed a rocket into the near post. His fourth goal of the season doubled the Terps’ advantage.

Despite Maryland holding a 2-0 lead into halftime, UConn came out of the locker rooms with the more threatening opportunities.

Laurin Mack — who faced just one shot in the opening half and it was sent wayward — quickly found himself under pressure in the second half. Mack was forced to make a pair of incredible diving stops within 32 seconds just eight minutes after halftime.

But the Terps weathered the early storm and dominated the possession late. A red card to UConn forward Austin Brommett essentially sealed Maryland’s victory.

Three things to know

1. Clean sheet. For most of the season, the Terps’ defense was one of the best units in the nation. However, Maryland conceded six goals across the previous three games leading up to Saturday’s match. The Terps held UConn scoreless for their ninth shutout of the year and their first in nearly a month.

2. Emptying the bench. With Maryland’s lead at two goals late in the game, Cirovski dug further into the bench than usual. Van Heukelum logged the final 17 minutes of the match and made an impact with a well-struck goal. Emil Nymann Anderson also made his collegiate debut, relieving Luca Costabile of his left-back duties.

3. Third-round success. In Cirovski’s tenure at Maryland, he’s been one of the most successful coaches in the third round. The Terps are now 13-3 in such matches, with many of those runs leading to College Cup appearances. Maryland awaits the winner of Washington and No. 12-seed Stanford.