After jersey mishap, Stertzer gets two it

John Stertzer may have found his new lucky number Monday night during a 3-1 home win over West Virginia.

Due to a problem with the Terrapins men's soccer team's laundry, the junior midfielder trotted onto Ludwig Field wearing No. 26 instead of his usual No. 27. He then proceeded to score two pivotal second-half goals to ensure the No. 4 Terps' first 2-0 start since 2006.

"I guess in the wash, one of the sides got ripped and everything," Stertzer said. "So they said I had to wear 26."

With the Terps down a goal, Stertzer's bellwether performance officially began in the 54th minute, moments after West Virginia defender Uzi Tayou handled a cross from Terps forward Casey Townsend in the penalty box. Stertzer calmly netted the ensuing penalty kick past Mountaineers goalkeeper Pat Eavenson, leading more than 4,600 Terps fans in jubilant celebration.

Coach Sasho Cirovski helped set up the moment even before the game began when he approached Stertzer outside the locker room. Recognizing the Virginia native had the mental toughness for such a pressurized situation, he told Stertzer to take the penalty kick if one came up.

"John has a certain callousness, like a Clint Dempsey," said Cirovski, referring to the U.S. Men's National Team and Fulham star. "He's not fazed. If he misses that, it won't affect him at all. He's a pretty cool cat."

Seven minutes after the penalty kick, Stertzer had the Terps back on the board. Defender Taylor Kemp found Stertzer with a curling free kick, and he headed it in to give the Terps a 2-1 lead. The go-ahead tally was his third goal in two games, besting the two goals he netted throughout the entirety of last season.

With the departure of three of last season's starting midfielders, Stertzer has assumed more of the offensive load this year. After starting the final nine matches of 2010, he entered training camp as the team's most seasoned midfielder.

Although his experience may have been relatively limited, he's settling into his new role as a leader. And Cirovski couldn't be more delighted.

"He's emerging as a guy that had a short résumé but now is starting to make a big impact in the college game," he said.

Of course, it would be uncharacteristic of the 18th-year coach to give a compliment without highlighting a point of possible improvement.

In their opening two games this season, the Terps have been a decidedly second-half squad. All six of their goals have come after halftime, and the Terps have lacked their characteristic attacking aggression at the start of games.

According to Cirovski, that problem isn't limited to the front line — it also extends to the midfield. And as the team's central attacking midfielder, Stertzer has a responsibility to set the tone for the rest of the middle third.

"I thought he didn't join the attack enough in the first half," Cirovski said after the West Virginia game. "The only time he joined it was when he wanted the ball himself, but he never got involved."

He'll have another chance Friday, when the Terps welcome Stanford for a nationally televised game. Just don't expect him to be wearing No. 26 then — Stertzer understands his early success was no product of luck.

"Oh, I'll be in 27 the rest of the season," he said.