COLLEGE PARK, MD – Making his collegiate debut, Colin Griffith scored the decisive goal as No. 20 Maryland bested No. 9 New Hampshire 2-1 on Thursday night at Ludwig Field in the season opener.
Hunter George scored from the front of the net in the 14th minute to put the Terrapins up 1-0. Griffith added his goal in the 75th minute, but Bilal Kamal answered eight minutes later for the Wildcats.
The XI
Niklas Neumann (GK)
Luca Costabile (DEF), Alex Nitzl (DEF), Chris Rindov (DEF), William Kulvik (DEF)
Malcolm Johnston (MID), Nick Richardson (MID), Griffin Dillon (MID)
Hunter George (F), Joshua Bolma (F), German Giammattei (F)
Breaking Down The Action
- Griffin Dillon and Nick Richardson made key passes for assists on George’s goal.
- Maryland kept the pressure on New Hampshire in the first period, putting four shots on goal and not allowing any from the Wildcats.
- Richardson and Griffith both had chances to score within seconds of each other in the 43rd minute, but Jassem Koleilat knocked Richardson’s shot away and Griffith’s flew over the net.
- The two teams played evenly for the first 25 minutes of the second period, each recording one shot.
- In the 75th minute, Griffith found the back of the net thanks to a beautiful find from Joshua Bolma. Alex Nitzl also had an assist on the play.
- Kamal answered in the 83rd minute, but the Maryland defense did not allow any further damage.
Newbies Making A Mark
- MLS NXT MVP Griffith, playing in his first collegiate match, scored his first goal.
- Freshman Luca Costabile played all 45 minutes of the first period and 66 minutes total.
- Transfers German Giammattei (Amherst College) and Stefan Copetti (Marist) also made their Terp debuts. Copetti recorded one shot.
Notable Numbers
- 5: The number of shots on goal the Terps recorded, compared to New Hampshire’s one.
- 20: The number of years The Crew, the program’s student supporters, has been in effect. The Sept. 2 match against Denver will serve as the “20 Seasons of The Crew” match.
- 30: With this season opener, head coach Sasho Cirovski has officially been on the sidelines for 30 seasons.
Up Next
Maryland hosts Liberty on Sunday at 7 pm at Ludwig Field.
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