COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Despite evening the score at 1-1 in the 64th minute, the defending national champion Maryland Terrapins were able to pull back in front as the Rutgers men's soccer team fell 3-1 on Wednesday night a Ludwig Field.   
 

MATCH SUMMARY

• The two teams played to a 0-0 halftime stalemate with Maryland's Eric Maltzelevich responsible for four of his team's eight first half shots.
• Oren Asher had an early stop and proceeded to deny two of Maltzelevich's first half chances to keep the game scoreless.
• Matzelevich broke thru for the Terps in the 57^th minute taking a deflection from the right side of the 18 into the opposite corner.
• The 64^th minute saw the Scarlet Knights knot the score at 1-1 with Nick Cruz using a high lofting pass from the mid-line ahead to Pablo Ávila inside the left of the box to tap the ball past a surging Niklas Neumann in goal into the right post.
• Maryland collected the game-winner in the 78^th minute capitalizing on a throw-in at the far side of the field. Nick Richardson directed the throw-in with a header to Fola Adetola, who with his back to the net, passed in front to David Kovacic for the 2-1 Terp lead.
• Kovacic added in an insurance goal off a restart situation. Chris Rindov headed the ball to Kovacic at the left post, who at close range, took a high kick into opposite post.

KEY STATS

• Rutgers fell to 6-2-2 overall and 0-2-1 in Big Ten play, while Maryland improved to 5-3-1 overall and 1-0-1 in league action.
• Freshman goalkeeper Oren Asher finished the night with five saves, denying Maryland's Eric Maltzelevich a trio of times.
• Maltzelevich was responsible for seven of the Terps' 17 shots as Maryland outshot Rutgers, 17-7.
• Maryland also led in the corner kick category, 7-3.

KNIGHT NOTES

• Sophomore Pablo Ávila netted his fourth goal of the year and is tied along with Jackson Temple as the Scarlet Knights' leading scorer.
• Sophomore Nick Cruz, in his second start of 2019, collected his first career assist.

MATCH QUOTES

"Again tonight we played well in stretches and we were able to score a great goal to tie up the match. A few lapses in concentration and we come out in the losing end. We are competing hard and the effort is there. We are looking forward to our match against Ohio State on Sunday." - head coach Jim McElderry
 

PHOTO GALLERY

 

UP NEXT

The Rutgers men's soccer team returns home to Yurcak Field for a soccer doubleheader on Sunday, Oct. 6. The RU men host Ohio State presented by RWJB Health at 11 a.m. in front of a national BTN audience with Dean Linke and Patrick Doody on the call. The Rutgers women's soccer team will follow with a contest against Northwestern.

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