Terps Dominate FDU In NCAA Tourney Opener, 5-2

Box Score COLLEGE PARK, MD – In Maryland’s 100th all-time NCAA Tournament game, the Terps took control early and scored often in a convincing victory over Fairleigh Dickinson, winning 5-2, on a chilly Thursday night at Ludwig Field in the NCAA First Round.  The Terps (11-3-5 overall) advance to face No. 14 seed Cornell on Sunday at 2 p.m., in Ithaca, N.Y. That game will air on ESPN+.

Stefan Copetti, Malcolm Johnston, Albi Ndrenika all scored in the first half while Joe Suchecki and Hunter George scored in the second half. Johnston added two assists for a career-best four-point game.

Less than two minutes into the game, Copetti scored on the Terps’ first shot to begin the Terps’ onslaught. Johnston scored in the ninth minute to increase that lead to 2-0. Johnston then set up Ndrenika for his first-career goal in the 25th minute to making it 3-0. 

In scoring five goals, the Terps equaled their school record for goals in an NCAA Tournament game, previously accomplished five times, the last in the 2012 first round against Coastal Carolina. 

In net, Niklas Neumann made five saves to earn the win. 

The win was head coach Sasho Cirovski‘s 50th in the NCAA Tournament as he is coaching in his 30th NCAA Tournament overall, a record for most tournaments coached in ever. 

NEC Champion FDU had its season come to an end with a 10-6-3 record. 

The XI

Niklas Neumann (GK)

Luca Costabile (LB), Chris Rindov (LCB), William Kulvik (RCB), Nick Richardson (RB)

Alex Nitzl (DM)

Joshua Bolma (MF), Albi Ndrenika (MF)

Stefan Copetti (F), Joshua Bolma (F), Colin Griffith (F)

Breaking Down The Action

• The Terps wasted no time as Copetti scored 1:45 into the game off a pass from Richardson as Copetti deposited the ball into the right side of the net. Johnston was also credited with an assist. 
• Maryland took a 2-0 lead, 9:32 into the game as Johnston scored into the bottom right corner off his right foot. Bolma and Costabile assisted the goal. 
• In his first-ever college start, Ndrenika shot the ball from the right side into the middle of the net off a splenid back-heel flick from Johnston to make it 3-0 at halftime. 
• Suchecki made it 4-0 as he took a feed from Copetti in the 63rd minute, scoring to the right side of the goal off his left foot. 
• FDU broke the shutout as Matt Giraldo scored in the 74th minute, making it 4-1, he…