Men's soccer staring down a title with match at Tar Heels

It's no secret: There are two schools Terrapins fans just can't stand.

And with less than two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Terrapins men's soccer team has the rare opportunity to capture consecutive wins over both bitter rivals.

After beating then-No. 22 Duke at Ludwig Field last Friday, the No. 3 Terps (13-1-1, 4-1 ACC) hit the road tonight to face No. 2 North Carolina in a rematch of last year's ACC Championship.

"It's the ACC," goalkeeper Will Swaim said Wednesday. "There are no breaks."

Playing in Cary, N.C., just 22 miles from Chapel Hill, the Terps last November claimed their fourth conference tournament title after a Matt Kassel penalty kick secured a 1-0 win over the Tar Heels.

Yet even though the ACC Tournament is still a few weeks away, the Terps are already playing for a shot at an ACC title.

The Terps and Tar Heels currently hold the ACC's top two slots, and a win at North Carolina (11-2-1, 3-1-1) tonight would have coach Sasho Cirovski's team poised to claim its first ACC regular-season title since 1971. Given that the Terps' final two games come against Clemson and Wake Forest, two squads with losing records in conference play this season, an ACC title may hang in the balance.

Not that the Terps need any added motivation for their second top-three matchup in three weeks.

"I think this is one of the games we always look forward to," Cirovski said. "We know North Carolina usually brings the best out of us, and we bring the best out of them. We think it's going to be a great game."

The Terps will face a Tar Heels squad trying to rebound from just its second loss of the season. North Carolina, which ranks second in the ACC in goals this season, couldn't get on the scoreboard in a 1-0 loss at Davidson on Monday. Its unbeaten streak ended at nine games after Wildcats forward Jake Keator netted a 25-yard rocket in the 82nd minute.

"I'm sure they're pretty upset after Monday," Cirovski said.

And the Terps have reason to be upset, as well.

Just 52 minutes after getting his first goal of the year Friday, midfielder Sunny Jane was shown a red card and ejected. The reasoning behind the call was unclear, but one thing definitely is: The Terps will be without their assists leader tonight. Per NCAA ejection rules, a player must sit out one game after receiving a red card.

"It's going to hurt not having Sunny out there," midfielder John Stertzer said after the Duke game. "He's a great player for us, but I know those guys on the bench will come in and fill in just fine."

Whomever Cirovski plugs into the starting rotation will share a massive defensive task: help neutralize North Carolina forward Billy Schuler.

A former third-team All-America selection, Schuler has paced the Tar Heels with 22 points this season. He has scored four times in his past five matches and is just five goals from cracking the top 10 on North Carolina's all-time scoring list.

But as the Terps prepare for a team that's spent the entire season ranked in the top five, they know the Tar Heels aren't just one man.

"They're more than Billy Schuler," Cirovski said, referring to North Carolina's potent midfield and frontlines. "They've got like a five-headed monster that we've got to deal with."

Luckily for the Terps, they'll be well rested as they try to tame it. The team is coming off its longest break of the season after not playing a midweek game for the first time this year.

And if those fresh legs can hold up for 90 more minutes tonight, the Terps will own wins over Duke and North Carolina for the second straight year.

"That's what it's all about," Swaim said.

letourneau@umdbk.com