Cortes’ senior moment

Walking out onto the Ludwig Field pitch Nov. 5 with his mother, father and brother, Billy Cortes soaked in what was one of the first times his family had seen him play during his four-year career in College Park.

For the moment, everyone focused on the Terrapin men's soccer midfielder and his accomplishments with the program. Smiling, coach Sasho Cirovski welcomed the family and handed them Cortes' framed No. 7 jersey.

"I'm speechless, really," Cortes said after the game.

The snapshot didn't seem possible two years ago, not in the eyes of Cortes or Cirovski, who hailed his resurgence as "one of the great stories of the program."

His latest run has been just as improbable. Even in his new position at right back, Cortes powered the Terps in their regular-season finale and then again Wednesday against Clemson in the ACC Tournament, tallying a combined two goals and two assists to help the Terps extend their winning streak to 11 games.

Tonight, Cortes and the second-seeded Terps (15-2-1) face sixth-seeded Virginia for a chance to play in the ACC Championship.

Cortes' willingness to battle back from early struggles both on the field and in the classroom, Cirovski said, has made him a player the 18th-year coach will hold close to his heart for years to come.

Two years ago, Cortes played a limited role on the Terps' NCAA Championship team. Behind a slew of future professionals, the midfielder appeared in only nine games and had just three shots.

But his struggles stretched off the field as well.

"He was close to almost leaving here two years ago when he was struggling in school and was falling below the standard of what we wanted," Cirovski said.

Cirovski had all but given up hope on the Mission Viejo, Calif., native. Cortes' fate was in his own hands.

"I wasn't holding him back because he had fallen below," Cirovski said. "There's that saying: If you love someone, let them go, and if they come back, they're yours. That's sort of what happened with Billy.

"There was a point in time when I showed him the door, and he came back. He decided to ask for one more chance, and I gave it to him and I'm thankful I did and I'm thankful he stayed.

A year later, Cortes replaced midfielder Doug Rodkey in the starting lineup after Rodkey broke the metatarsal bone in his foot. Cortes finished the season strong, earning 16 starts and scoring a team-high five points in the postseason.

This year, he held off talented freshmen Patrick Mullins and Sunny Jane at his left midfield position as the Terps established themselves as legitimate College Cup contenders.

His most remarkable accomplishment this season, though, has been his surprising move to the team's backline. With defenders Ethan White and London Woodberry both nursing injuries, Cirovski asked Cortes to make the move to the team's backline while on a bus to Charlottesville, Va., for a critical ACC match against the Cavaliers on Oct. 29.

Cortes gladly accepted the role and has thrived since.

"Ever since I was little I've played a lot of different positions, so I don't care where I am as long as I'm on the field," Cortes said. If the team needs me to play somewhere, I'll play it."

With Woodberry still sidelined due to a quadriceps injury, Cortes will again carry a vital responsibility for the Terps against the Cavaliers tonight, shoring up the team's defense while providing a spark on the attack's right side.

To see his growth over four years is probably as meaningful to me as winning championships," Cirovski said. "I seem to have one of these every year or two ... players that test your patience and your resolve as a coach. But when you see them come to fruition and the light come on and you see the growth, that's pretty awesome."

ceckard@umdbk.com