SUDDEN DEATH

As the ball skirted across Ludwig Field in the second sudden-death overtime period of Saturday's NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, an unmarked Michigan player found space on a hard run into the penalty box and nudged the ball toward the far post.

When it found the net for the decisive goal in the Terrapin men's soccer team's stunning 3-2 loss to the No. 10 seed Wolverines, the realization of finality hit hard for a squad who had expected to play another weekend. Players dropped to the cold pitch, burrowing their face in their hands as teammates sought to console them.

The 15-game winning streak, the program's record of shutouts, the nation's leading scoring offense — none of it mattered after Michigan midfielder Fabio Pereira's first career goal proved to be the last the No. 2 seed Terps would see this season. The dreams and expectations of hoisting the program's fourth national championship trophy had evaporated.

"This was probably the most gut-wrenching and heartbreaking loss at Ludwig in my career," said coach Sasho Cirovski, who sat alone at the postgame press conference as his team nursed only its third defeat all season. "At no point did I feel like we were going to lose this game."

Despite a season-high 33 shots, the Terps (19-3-1) could manage to score only twice against Michigan goalkeeper Chris Blais. Forward Casey Townsend and midfielder John Stertzer combined (16) nearly matched the Wolverine's shot total (18).

But each time the Terps had seemingly found the answer to their scoring woes, their shots slid right past a post, struck off the crossbar or floated just high of the net.

"We probably left, by my recollection, about seven high-quality opportunities unfinished," Cirovski said. "When nine shots of your 33 are on target, you make it tough on yourself."

After needing 87 minutes to score against Penn State last week, the Terps struck early with a strike from Townsend. Just 17 minutes into the match, the junior gathered the ball with his chest and struck a right-footed side-volley to the far corner of the net.

Before Saturday, the Terps had never lost after scoring the game's first goal. They also had relinquished a lead only once all season.

But a high-ankle sprain to defender Greg Young threw the defense in flux, forcing Cirovski to move midfielder Billy Cortes to right back to start the second half and then bring in reserve defender London Woodberry, who had not appeared since Oct. 19.

In the 50th minute, Michigan defender Jeff Quijano scored from 16 yards out on a deflection to give the Wolverines (17-4-3) momentum. Just 10 minutes later, Michigan forward Justin Meram scored from 12 yards out with a shot to the far post, beating Terp goalkeeper Zac MacMath to take the lead.

"We did all the things necessary to win except find ways to keep the ball out of the net," Cirovski said.

Facing their first deficit since their last loss on Sept. 24 at North Carolina, the Terps continued to press offensively. Forward Jason Herrick appeared to save the game in the 79th minute when he powered an accurate shot from 19 yards out to even the score.

But even with chance after chance following Herrick's goal, the Terps couldn't break through for a final tally. Whether it was a Stertzer header that flew right over the crossbar or a Townsend flick that Blais just got a hand on, the Terps ran out of luck in the final stage of their season.

"It's really, really hard to believe we're not going to Santa Barbara," Cirovski said of the California site of the College Cup. "I truly felt we were the better team today and deserved a better result."

Ultimately, the Terps' season ended in a fashion strikingly similar to how it began — in an overtime thriller at Ludwig Field to a team from the state of Michigan.

This time, the stakes were much higher than during the team's 4-3 loss to Michigan State in early September. A sixth trip to the College Cup in nine years, which early Saturday had seemed all but certain, ended a step short for the second season in a row.

"I don't want this loss to diminish the incredible year we've had," said Cirovski, whose Terps also fell in the quarterfinals last year. "I couldn't be more proud of them. I love them. They've invested heavily; they've worked hard; they've brought a lot of honor to the program this year. It's a shame, and I hurt for them."

ceckard@umdbk.com