Cirovski Picks Up 200th Career Win

Three different players recorded their first career goals to give coach Sasho Cirovski his 200th career victory for No. 6 Maryland which downed Bucknell 4-1 in a non-conference match before 1,010 at Ludwig Field tonight .

Junior midfielder Spencer Allen, freshman forward Omar Gonzalez and senior midfielder Pat Wilson all found net for the first time as collegians, while freshman midfielder Jeremy Hall struck for the sixth time this season for the Terrapins.

With Maryland holding a 25-3 shots advantage, Cirovski became the second Terps coach to reach the 200-win milestone, improving his mark to 200-89-15 (.661) in his 14th season with the defending NCAA Division I champion. Doyle Royal, Maryland’s first and longest tenured head coach was 217-58-18 (771.) in 28 years and led the school to the 1968 NCAA co-championship.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” Cirovski said. “It doesn’t compare to the big wins, the championships wins. To me, this is a program achievement, not a Sasho Cirovski achievement. I’ve had lots of assistant coaches and players over the years. I think the program is in great shape and I’m really proud of that.”

The Terps (13-3-1) went ahead in less than two minutes and led 3-0 before 11 minutes had expired. Sophomore midfielder Graham Zusi’s free kick was cleared by Bucknell from its penalty area, but the ball went to Allen, who found the right side of the net for a 1-0 lead with 1:53 gone.

In the ninth minute, Gonzalez intercepted a bad Bucknell pass and carried down the right flank. From the end-line, he delivered a cross into the box to an unmarked Hall, who headed the ball into the far side of the net to make it 2-0.

Two minutes later, junior midfielder Maurice Edu fired a shot that was deflected to Gonzalez, who knocked home the rebound from in the box and the Terps’ margin grew to 3-0.

The Terps had two more dangerous chances late in the first half, but Bisons junior goalkeeper Joey Kuterbach made two spectacular saves. He finished the game with 10 stops, while Terps sophomore keeper Chris Seitz made two saves.

“The theme all week has been to bring back the energy, the enthusiasm, the spark from preseason and that is typically what we do this time of year,” said Cirovski, whose team has won three straight after dropping two in a row. “Over the last couple of games, we brought that. The team has played with a little more bounce in their step.”