A coming-of-age celebration

Stepping onto Ludwig Field last night, John Stertzer was determined to celebrate his 21st birthday in style.

And though it might have taken a little longer and a little more effort than expected against an unranked Rutgers squad, the Terrapins soccer midfielder did just that.

Stertzer scored both of the No. 2 Terps' goals en route to a 2-1 overtime win over the Scarlet Knights in front of 2,246, keeping the team's unbeaten season alive for at least another night.

"It's great to get goals on my birthday," he said. "But we had a job to do tonight, and the best gift was just to get the win."

Coming off two wins over top-15 teams last week, the Terps (11-0-1) appeared fatigued throughout much of the 97 minutes last night. It was their 12th game in a little more than a month, and those tired legs showed against a Rutgers (4-5-1) team that had tied Division II school Adelphi just last week.

But Stertzer wasn't going to let a little bit of exhaustion ruin his birthday plans.

Seven minutes into the first sudden-death overtime period, he notched his second game winner of the season when he caught a looping pass from defender Alex Lee and flicked it past Rutgers goalkeeper Kevin McMullen for a 6-yard score.

It was the Oakton, Va., native's ninth goal of the season and his second in a little more than an hour.

Midway through the first on the scoreboard when he headed midfielder Jereme Raley's corner kick past a diving McMullen at the near post. The score gave the Terps an early 1-0 lead, and triggered a round of "Happy Birthday" from the supportive legions of "The Crew" on hand.

Rutgers didn't make the four-hour trek down the Jersey Turnpike to celebrate any birthdays, however, and quickly put a kibosh on the festivities.

Less than two minutes after Stertzer's score, Scarlet Knights forward Sam Archer rebounded a shot off Terps goalkeeper Will Swaim and evened the score with a 6-yard goal of his own.

"Everything was slow for us in that first half," coach Sasho Cirovski said of the Terps, who entered halftime with a season-low two shots. "We were one thought too slow and one step too slow."

That talk seemed to fall on deaf ears, however, as the Scarlet Knights outhustled the Terps in the opening minutes of the second half. Rutgers put four shots on goal within the period's opening 10 minutes as the Terps struggled to gain possession for one of the first times this season.

"It was frustrating to see how flat-footed our guys were," said Swaim, who more than doubled his per-game save average with five last night. "But you know, that's just part of the role of a goalkeeper. You've got to suck it up and deal with what you got. And given how we started that second half, I think we definitely had our stripes on as it progressed."

Although the Terps squelched Rutgers' attack in the latter half of the period, they continuously failed to find the back of the net. Their best chance to take the game in regulation came in the 85th minute, when Stertzer's open look just outside the penalty box sailed over the net.

That misfire was all but forgotten 12 minutes later, though, when Stertzer's header clinched the Terps' 11th win of the season.

And for the mild-mannered Stertzer, the celebration that ensued following that goal was all he needed to cap a memorable 21st.

That is, except for a little quality time with his parents.

"I'll probably go out to eat with my family to celebrate," Stertzer said.

letourneau@umdbk.com