In year No. 6, a shot at title No. 3 for Rodkey

Arguably the signature moment of the Terrapin men's soccer season last year came against then-No. 2 North Carolina on Sept. 25, 2009, when defender Kevin Tangney headed in the game's decisive goal in the final two minutes and caused a raucous celebration at Ludwig Field.

Yards away and moments earlier, though, midfielder Doug Rodkey hobbled to the sideline in pain after trying to trap the ball with his right foot. He thought it was just a cramp. But later that night, Rodkey learned he had broken a bone in the foot, ending his senior season just five games in.

Warming up against the Tar Heels before the ACC Championship this weekend, Rodkey blended in with the rest of the No. 3 Terps. His small 5-foot-7 frame and cherubic face offered no hints that he was one of the team's more senior members.

This weekend, the 23-year-old Rodkey will begin his quest for something no male athlete has ever accomplished at this university: three national championships. The diminutive midfielder enters his sixth NCAA Tournament Sunday when the team faces Pennsylvania at Ludwig Field.

Were it not for his fateful fall last September, Rodkey admits, he wouldn't be here.

"I thought I was done," Rodkey said. "I was devastated. I didn't think I was coming back."

The fifth-year player had already redshirted the 2006 season because of an injury to the same foot. So when trainers told him he probably wouldn't be able to return, Rodkey couldn't believe his quiet but productive career with the Terps was done.

Weeks later, coach Sasho Cirovski discovered Rodkey might have a chance at returning. With the early injury, Rodkey ultimately fell short of playing in one third of the team's total games, clearing his way for a chance at a medical redshirt.

"If it had happened a game later, he wouldn't have been able to come back," Cirovski said.

Rodkey now balances the workload of three-hour-long graduate classes in a public policy program with the rigors of the team's training. But after looking at the Terps' talent-packed roster for this season, the decision to return was easy.

"I would like to say that I would come back either way, but at the same time, you look at the team, you know how good the team is, and you want to be a part of that," Rodkey said. "We knew after last season that we could have a great year."

Known as a shifty outside midfielder who routinely sets up Terp attackers with picturesque crosses from the right side, he's become equally valued for his veteran presence.

"You can go to him about anything," forward Casey Townsend said. "If you ever have a question, you can go to him. He really helps the young guys."

And with a completely new coaching staff this season, Cirovski has even turned to the New Jersey native for advice.

"He's a great reference point," Cirovksi said. "Sometimes, I have to bring him into the office and ask, ‘Doug, what did we do this week last year? What did we do in '05?' He's been my quasi-assistant here."

With the Terps' start of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday, Rodkey has set his focus on creating one final championship memory.

"The fact that I could be a part of three teams that were that good and to be a part of Maryland history would mean the world to me," Rodkey said. "I've been here so long, this school and this team means so much to me."

ceckard@umdbk.com