Men's soccer heads to UMBC with a possible new honor — and burden

As Patrick Mullins trotted off Ludwig Field on Friday night, the Terrapins men's soccer forward refused to bask in the glory of the moment.

His squad had just routed then-No. 8 Boston College, 4-0, in front of the more than 4,200 in attendance. Mullins, a converted midfielder thriving in his new role on the frontline, had led the charge with two second-half goals.

Yet as he tried to catch his breath after the milestone performance, Mullins wasn't ready to make any gaudy declarations or title predictions. Instead, he focused on the Terps' next task: grabbing their first road win of the season against local rival UMBC tonight.

"We're just trying to keep it realistic right now," he said after the win against the Eagles. "Obviously, it's a great win and we're enjoying it tonight, but when we come in tomorrow, we're getting prepared for UMBC."

But staying realistic may be harder than Mullins and the No. 2 Terps could've imagined.

In a result Saturday that defied all expectations, No. 1 North Carolina suffered a double-overtime, 1-0 loss to an unranked Virginia Tech squad that had previously lost to Howard. That leaves the Terps (5-0, 1-0 ACC) poised, for the first time since September 2009, to take over the top spot when the NSCAA Coaches Poll is released today.

"Teams are definitely going to be gunning for us," said midfielder Jereme Raley, referring to the Terps' possible No. 1 ranking. "But we can't really worry about that. We just have to keep that in the back of our minds and keep playing."

And as a program desperate for more exposure, UMBC (2-0-2) would like nothing more than to upend the state's powerhouse.

The Retrievers installed lights at their stadium for the first time this offseason and aimed to capitalize on the renovation by scheduling a rigorous nonconference home schedule. In addition to the Terps, they'll host No. 19 Penn State at Retriever Soccer Park on Oct. 19.

But UMBC possesses more than just ambition. Its squad has two ingredients necessary in any potential upset: senior leadership and a strong backline.

The Retrievers returned eight starters from a squad that won the America East Tournament last season and reached the NCAA Tournament for the second time in program history.

And although they've scored only three times this season, UMBC has allowed just one goal through its first four games. Led by senior goalkeeper Dan Louisignau's 22 saves, the Retrievers' opponents are connecting on less than 2 percent of their shot attempts.

But then again, UMBC's backline hasn't yet faced an offense with the collective firepower of the Terps. With a three-headed attack of forwards Patrick Mullins and Casey Townsend and midfielder John Stertzer, coach Sasho Cirovski's squad has outscored opponents, 16-2.

With their offense, the Terps have dispatched top-tier opponents quite handily this season. They posted three-goal outbursts in the second period of matches against No. 12 West Virginia and No. 25 St. John's, and they completely dominated the ball Friday against Boston College, which didn't even manage a shot on goal.

As soon as they step on the field tonight, though, the Terps know that the past won't matter. What will is how they perform with the pressures of a likely No. 1 ranking attached to their name.

"As a coach, you're always working hard to make sure your players are well prepared," Cirovski said. "And I have no doubt that our team will be ready to go [against UMBC]."

letourneau@umdbk.com