In a rematch of the 2013 national championship game, the No. 13-ranked Maryland men’s soccer program played to a scoreless draw with No. 4 Notre Dame in the opening game of the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic on Friday evening.
Maryland (0-0-1) started five new players, including freshmen Sebastian Elney, Eryk Williamson, Diego Silva, and Amar Sejdic. A total of eight rookies made their Terrapin debuts Friday.
Cody Niedermeier, who notched his first start as a Terp after sustaining two season-ending injuries in three years at Maryland, racked up three saves en route to his first career shutout.
Maryland outshot Notre Dame by a decisive 7-1 mark in the first 45 minutes. The Terps held a 22-10 advantage in the category for the match but managed only four shots on goal.
Freshman Paul Bin had the Terps’ closest call of the match with a fantastic header that banged off the crossbar in the 71st minute.
Maryland was solid defensively all match long, including a tremendous solo effort by Mael Corboz to save a shot at the goal line after Irish defender Max Lachowecki beat Niedermeier in the 68th minute. Niedermeier rallied to make two key saves in the final seven minutes of regulation.
“I was extremely happy with the performance of the team and I thought we came out with a lot of commitment and concentration and we were connected and created a lot chances,” head coach Sasho Cirovski said. “The only disappointing thing was our execution in the final third. It is no shame tying Notre Dame but it does feel a little empty because I think we deserved better.”
The Terps return to action on Sunday at 11:30 a.m. when they face St. John’s in Bloomington.
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