CHESTER, PA — December 13 – Maryland secured their place in the College Cup with a 2-1 win over Virginia thanks to two goals from senior forward Patrick Mullins and goalkeeping heroics from freshman Zack Steffen.
Here are how the players performed on a bitterly cold night at PPL Park:
Virginia
Calle Brown (GK): Will perhaps be disappointed to be lobbed by Mullins as the Terrapins took the lead, but was otherwise solid.6/10
Zach Carroll (D): Like all the backline, he had some problems with Maryland’s attackers but was able to largely withstand their pressure.6/10
Scott Thomsen (D): Was given a hard time by Mullins in particular, but managed to just about keep the MAC Hermann finalist quiet despite picking up a caution in the second half.5/10
Kyler Sullivan (D): Succeeded in seeing Schillo Tshuma substituted in the first half after some good work, and managed to snuff out a number of threats.6/10
Kevin McBride (D): Looked handy getting forward with his long, raking balls, but while these were well-intentioned they led to few genuine chances.6/10
Todd Wharton (M): Involved in a battle in the midfield, and may have liked to have had more impact than he was able to exert, although he scored a penalty late in the game to give Virginia hope.6/10
Jordan Allen (M): Had a shot on goal in the first half and showed flashes of good play, but could not put together enough meaningful moves.6/10
Eric Bird (M): Tried to spark some attacking moves for the Cavaliers alongside Allen, but apart from an early shot could do little to help them going forward.6/10
Darius Madison (F): Had several shots saved and worked hard as he presented Virginia’s best and most consistent attacking threat.7/10
Marcus Salandy-Defour (F): Struggled mightily to have any impact up front in the face of Maryland’s stout defenders, but did manage to force a penalty late in the game for his side.4/10
Ryan Zinkhan (F): Also found himself out muscled and unable to make any telling contributions in attack.5/10
Subs
Riggs Lennon (F): Came on up front but was unable to make much of an impact alongside Madison. 4/10
Nicko Corriveau (F): Was brought on as Virginia chased an equalizer but could not find a good opening. 5/10
Brian James (M): Had a glorious chance to tie things up late but was denied by Zack Steffen in what was a good outing for the midfielder. 6/10
Maryland
Zack Steffen (GK): Made some brilliant saves and did well to keep his team in the game, especially late on.8/10
Jereme Raley (D): Did well as part of a solid Maryland defensive unit, especially in aerial challenges. 6/10
Mikey Ambrose (D): Made some crunching tackles and was crucial in making sure Madison was unable to make any telling impact.7/10
Suli Dainkeh (D): Looked solid alongside Ambrose and ensured that the Cavalier attackers were denied as much space as possible.6/10
Chris Odoi-Atsem (D): Enjoyed a number of meaty challenges, ensuring that nothing got past him throughout the game.6/10
Michael Sauers (M): Had a decent game in the midfield but struggled to make much of an impact at times.5/10
Dan Metzger (M): Played a very physical game and ensured that Virginia’s midfielders could not gain any momentum.7/10
Mikias Eticha (M): Notched a superb assist to give his side the lead, and was a continual threat from the midfield.7/10
Tsubasa Endoh (M): A typically industrious performance from the midfielder, who once again made sure there was a link to his forward players and laid on a great assist for Mullins in the second half.8/10
Patrick Mullins (F): A superb finish in either half capped a memorable night for Mullins, who was the fulcrum of much of his side’s attacking movement.9/10
Schillo Tshuma (F): Enjoyed a good linkup with Mullins at times, but was somewhat overshadowed by his teammate.6/10
Subs
Alex Shinsky (M): Came on in the first half and relished the physical battles as he ensured his side maintained their lead.6/10
Sunny Jane (F): Looked lively up front for Maryland without ever being able to create any chances for himself.6/10
Jake Pace (F): Gave Mullins good support in attack, but like Jane was unable to create much in the final third.6/10
Chris Teale is a contributing writer for College Soccer News. He is reporting from the College Cup at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. You can reach him at Chris.teale55@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @chris_teale
