Maryland
Three takeaways from Maryland men’s soccer’s 2-0 preseason victory over American
Hunter George leaped previous his defender and deftly headed a cross over American College goalkeeper Dominic Dominguez. He watched because the ball nestled into the again of the online earlier than trotting off towards the nook flag to have fun.
George’s fiftieth minute end and a late objective from freshman ahead Max Riley helped Maryland males’s soccer to a 2-0 victory over the Patriots within the Terps’ second preseason pleasant of the yr. It was Maryland’s first win of its preseason after drawing VCU 1-1 on Friday, based on a staff spokesperson.
Goalkeeper Niklas Neumann kicked away a low shot from Zemi Rodriguez within the fifteenth minute, denying the American its finest alternative of the opening half. The Patriots and Terps did not take their probabilities within the opening 45 minutes, leaving the sport tied at halftime.
George shortly gave Maryland the lead from an Isaac Ngobu cross within the second half, a lead it finally wouldn’t give up.
The Terps stayed on the entrance foot all through the ultimate 45 minutes and have been lastly rewarded with a second objective within the 83rd minute. William Kulvik headed a supply from a free kick throughout the field that was bundled house by Riley, whose end from 5 yards out put the ending touches on the 2-0 victory.
Maryland will tackle No. 14 Marshall in its last tune-up recreation on Aug. 19 earlier than opening their season at house in opposition to No. 9 New Hampshire on Aug. 25. After experimenting with completely different personnel and formations within the Terps’ first two friendlies, coach Sasho Cirovski intends to make use of the Marshall recreation to arrange Maryland for a difficult season opener.
“[We] handled the scrimmages just a little bit extra like coaching workout routines, and to essentially consider a few of the gamers’ qualities in opposition to a unique opponent,” Cirovski mentioned. “After we play Marshall on Friday, we’ll put collectively what we really feel is perhaps our strongest lineup at this level, and we’ll get a rotation getting into that recreation that appears good.”
Listed here are three takeaways from Maryland’s exhibition victory.
[Former Maryland men’s soccer forward Jacen Russell-Rowe signs, starts for Columbus Crew]
New forwards may have an prompt influence
Bringing in a mixture of expertise and youth, the Terps’ incoming class of forwards may assist enhance a Maryland assault that has struggled to provide over the previous few years.
5 of the Terps’ eight listed forwards are new additions, changing six departures on the place following final season.
“The previous few years we’ve struggled to have quite a lot of depth up entrance on the entrance line,” Cirovski mentioned. “This yr, I really feel like we’ve much more, and I believe it’ll present all through the season. We struggled to generally rating targets, and I believe this yr we’ll be extra threatening and extra menacing.”
Transfers German Giammattei and Stefan Copetti have spectacular objective scoring information at their previous colleges, priming them to instantly contribute up prime with returning forwards Bolma and George.
Copetti created a number of probabilities all through the primary half, forcing a great save and placing a header from about 10 yards out simply huge.
Maryland additionally introduced in freshmen Colin Griffith, Ethan Gregory and Riley. Griffith confirmed poise on the ball in opposition to the Patriots — beating his defender and squaring the ball throughout the field to a teammate within the sixtieth minute — and Riley’s well-positioned end acquired his title on the scoresheet.
“I’ve been happy with what I’ve seen thus far,” Cirovski mentioned of the incoming group.
[Maryland men’s soccer releases 2022 schedule]
Freshmen alongside the backline impressed
Maryland began the match with freshmen Mack DeVries, Luca Costabile and Brian St. Martin on the again.
The younger protection restricted American to only three pictures within the first half, and solely wanted Neumann to make a cease on one event. Because the opening 45 minutes went on they helped the Terps progress the ball up the sector.
DeVries is a left-footed middle again that may assist Maryland play the ball out of the again, which he displayed with crisp passes all through the sport.
Costabile is a late addition to the Terps’ freshman class that isn’t listed on the staff’s roster but. Previously of AC Crema of Italy’s Serie D, Costabile has impressed Cirovski already and will permit the coach to make use of Alex Nitzl in midfield or in different positions throughout the backline, Cirovski mentioned.
“A lot of the youngsters we get right here, they’re what I name freshmen plus, a lot of them have had fairly good experiences already,” Cirovski mentioned. “It was good as a result of Niklas was in objective and Nick was on, so that you had quite a lot of expertise to assist in giving them confidence and assist lead the backline.”
[Maryland midfielder Ben Bender selected with No. 1 overall pick in 2022 MLS SuperDraft]
Cirovski is worked up about Maryland’s depth and expertise
Regardless of shedding 11 gamers on the finish of final season, the spine of Maryland’s staff stays intact.
The Terps will return essential gamers all throughout the pitch, however most notably of their protection and at goalkeeper.
Richardson and Nitzl can fly up and down the pitch as fullbacks and are each capable of play different positions if vital. Senior Chris Rindov additionally presents an skilled choice at middle again and Neumann and Jamie Lowell have each performed essential minutes for the Terps.
“We even have extra expertise on the again line,” Cirovski mentioned. “We’re unsure what the beginning group will appear to be proper now, however I really feel higher that we’ve just a little extra expertise all around the discipline.”
Senior Malcolm Johnston, a mainstay within the middle of pitch, has began 41 matches within the seasons at Maryland. Cirovski lauded the midfielders creativeness and mentioned he may play a job as an attacking midfielder.
“For the primary time in nearly 4 years, we’ve some expertise and maturity on the squad,” Cirovski mentioned.
Joined by 10 new additions — eight of that are freshmen — Cirovski is worked up for the combination of gamers he has at his disposal for the upcoming season.
“It’s a great, very nice mix of hungry, returning, mature expertise and quite a lot of youthful power and talent,” Cirovski mentioned.
Maryland
Biden-Harris Administration awards $18.6M grant to Maryland for EV charging infrastructure
BALTIMORE – The Biden-Harris Administration announced an $18.6 million grant to Maryland on Friday to expand zero-emission EV charging and fueling infrastructure.
The grant is part of President Biden’s effort to build 500,000 publicly available EV chargers by 2030, a goal that may be on track to be achieved earlier than expected.
“The Biden Administration has made historic investments to support the EV transition and make sure it’s made in America,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
“These investments will help states and communities build out a network of EV chargers in the coming years so that one day, finding a charge on a road trip will be as easy as filling up at a gas station.”
As of Friday, there were more than 206,000 publicly available EV charging ports, with 38,000 new public chargers initiated in 2024.
“Thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s efforts, we now have over 200,000 publicly available chargers nationwide and hundreds of new manufacturing facilities across 40 states, creating jobs and economic growth. Today’s awards bring us one step closer to a cleaner transportation future.”
The new fueling stations will be built on the I-81 and I-78 corridors across Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and West Virginia.
“This funding showcases the harmony in government efforts to maximize federal investments and will build on the Department of Energy’s work to develop the 21st-century energy workforce and prepare the grid to power zero-emission fueling infrastructure nationwide,” said Jeff Marootian, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. “The new charging and refueling locations will deliver more accessible and equitable transportation options, create good-paying new jobs, and open up opportunities for innovation in communities across America.”
To learn more about President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and investments in electric vehicles, click here.
Maryland
Reporter reacts to Jets ‘head scratching’ move of interviewing Maryland HC Mike Locksley
The New York Jets made one of the more surprising moves when they announced they had completed an interview with Maryland head coach Mike Locksley. The offensive-minded coach just ended the 2024 season going 4-8 and Locksley has a 33-41 record while coaching the Terps.
The Jets aren’t leaving any stone unturned when it comes to finding their next head coach. But The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman and Zach Rosenblatt can’t come to terms as to why New York would interview Locksley. With far more college coaches who have had more success than Locksley, why the under-.500 coach?
“Yet, this one feels like a head-scratcher — if the Jets were going to interview a college candidate, my reporting had indicated there might be some mutual interest in Iowa State coach Matt Campbell, who rejected an interview request from the Jets in 2019 before they hired Adam Gase. That has yet to happen, though it’s still possible it could — especially since Campbell is already expected to interview for the Bears opening.
“It feels like a long shot that the Jets would seriously consider Locksley to be their next coach, considering he has no NFL coaching experience and Maryland has been inconsistent under his watch. But perhaps there’s an outside chance he’d be interested in joining the Jets as an offensive coordinator when they eventually hire a head coach.”
It’s quite unlikely that the Jets hire Locksley away from Mayland. But if anything, it shows that teams are impressed with how the former Alabama offensive coordinator has run his program at Maryland. Playing in the Big Ten with powerhouses like Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and now Oregon, is no easy feat for a program like Maryland that can’t quite recruit at the same level.
– Enjoy more Maryland coverage on Maryland Terrapins On SI –
Maryland
Takeaways from Maryland men’s basketball’s 79-61 win over No. 22 UCLA
Searching for its first ranked win of the 2024-25 campaign, Maryland men’s basketball had the opportunity to erase its demons from a dismal 87-60 loss against UCLA at home in 2022.
The Terps did just that, cranking up the intensity in the second half against the No. 22 Bruins to prevail at Xfinity Center, 79-61.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Ja’Kobi Gillespie’s first-half effort was spectacular
The reason Maryland led UCLA at the half — let alone was in the game — was because Ja’Kobi Gillespie took it upon himself to propel the Terps’ offense.
Gillespie had an overall pedestrian West Coast road trip, scoring a season-low one point against Washington before notching 16 against No. 9 Oregon. But the ever-aggressive guard matched his scoring output against the Ducks at home versus UCLA — in just 20 minutes of play.
Gillespie was once again Maryland’s primary ball handler, and assumed much of the shot-making duties in the opening half. He had 10 attempts from the field, double that of the next closest player, Derik Queen. While the Terps were keen on trying to find their bigs for buckets inside early — they had 20 paint points in the first half compared to the Bruins’ 14 — eventually, the visitors put an emphasis on their interior defense.
Gillespie was the main benefactor, becoming increasingly ball-dominant and continuously running pick-and-rolls at the top of the 3-point line. When UCLA rolled out its drop coverage in an attempt to stifle Maryland’s inside attack, Gillespie let it fly from deep. He went 4-of-8 from downtown on the evening.
His defensive impact was also evident. Gillespie accumulated four steals on the night, including two in the second half to help Maryland pull away with quick fast-break points.
The 6-foot-1 junior had an overall quieter second half, but grabbed a huge offensive rebound and drilled a 3-pointer in succession with four minutes remaining, effectively throwing the knockout punch. He finished with a game-high 27 points to go with two rebounds and four assists.
Maryland’s defense turned it up in the second half
Maryland’s offense was by no means on fire in the second half. It picked up its scoring effort in the latter minutes, but it scored just 20 points in the first 15 minutes of the frame. It was the Terps’ defense that helped shut down any hope of a UCLA victory.
In the middle portion of the frame, the Bruins went more than four minutes without scoring a field goal, missing seven consecutive field goals. That wasn’t a product of poor offense, but rather the Terps’ airtight coverage.
For a team averaging just around 11 turnovers per game, Friday was a complete nightmare for the Bruins, who committed 21 — 10 of which came in the second half. The Terps turned those 10 turnovers into 12 points of their own.
Maryland also had six second-half steals and four blocks, while UCLA had no second-half rejections. One of the Terps’ blocks was an emphatic Julian Reese swat on Bruins star Tyler Bilodeau, sending the crowd into a frenzy and injecting the team with life.
One of the reasons for Maryland’s increased defensive presence was head coach Kevin Willard’s insertion of interior size. Tafara Gapare played an impressive 14 minutes, blocking two shots of his own and helping force UCLA into perimeter shots. The Bruins went 7-of-19 from downtown on the night.
A much-needed ranked victory
Heading into the match, Maryland was No. 24 in the KenPom net rankings. It has been teetering on the precipice of being ranked for the past few weeks. But it has also been missing something important in its resume: a signature ranked win.
It came close against then-No. 15 Marquette, then-No. 8 Purdue and then-No. 9 Oregon, but late miscues and missed chances plagued the Terps in each contest.
It didn’t take a close finish to decide Maryland’s fate Friday. The home Terps had the game in hand during most of the latter portion of the second half.
It wasn’t just Maryland’s defense that propelled it to a sizable lead. It was partially due to UCLA head coach Mick Cronin being ejected from the game, granting the Terps four free throws and igniting the crowd.
Reese also helped Maryland pull away, scoring 10 second half points on 5-of-6 shooting. As of recent, he has put on far more prolific performances than he had been early in the season.
Friday night was Maryland’s first ranked win since Jan. 14, 2024, when it beat No. 14 Illinois. The Terps will have another opportunity to defeat a ranked Fighting Illini team — currently No. 13 — on Jan. 23.
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