Terps, Zips defy odds to reach College Cup final

Akron and Maryland. If people were to guess the final two teams standing at the end of the 2018 campaign, only a handful would have mentioned Maryland and Akron.

It’s not because they’re not talented. Both teams have nationally recognized players on offense and defense. It’s not because they didn’t deserve to be there. They defied the odds, snuck under the radar and knocked off top teams. And it’s not because they don’t have history — both teams have been there before.

It’s simply because they weren’t favored to win. Period. But after knocking out Michigan State and Indiana in the semifinals, Akron and Maryland battled for the championship. They earned the right to be there. And after 90 minutes, they showed why.

Maryland tallied the lone goal of the match — a penalty kick in the 57th minute. They held on for the 1-0 win and their fourth national championship.

“2018 national champions. Early October, it didn’t feel like it was going to be that,” Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski said. “I could not be more proud of this team, of this group of seniors, not only for this season but for the past four years. We’ve talked about this being a big moment for our program, a good story in overcoming adversity and reestablishing our culture identity and redeeming ourselves.”

The Terrapins (13-6-4) started the 2018 campaign 0-2-2 before finally earning a win on. During that stretch, they were outscored 3-0. They scored their first goal Sept. 10 in a 1-0 win over West Virginia. When Big Ten play began, they dropped four more games. But Oct. 29 vs. Michigan marked their last loss of the regular-season campaign.

And when the NCAA Tournament began, they turned up both the defense and offense. They outscored opponents 8-0. The team became the first at Maryland to not allow a goal under Cirovski in NCAA Tournament play. It wasn’t just the backline that stepped up the defense. Every player turned it up, blocking every attempt in tournament play.

“We are brothers — the back four, the back five, the back six — the whole starting 11 were so close, even the support guys,” goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair said. “It wasn’t just a back four performance it was all 11 guys on the field, including the supporting players the coaches as well.”

St. Clair was forced to make just 16 saves out of 51 shots. The defense ensured that the shots on goal were limited. And when they made it into the box, St. Clair was able to make the save. Donovan Pines proved himself one of the top defenders in the country without a doubt. Standing at 6-5, he towered over opponents while finding himself in the right place at the right time more than once. He even added a goal and an assist in tourney play.

“It all comes down to focus and tenacity,” Pines said. “We always work in practice on tracking guys. I’m really competitive. Everybody is competitive on this team. Everybody around me makes me better. Everybody had a great game. The whole backline bought into the system.”

Akron (15-7-2) fell one goal short. After dominating Michigan State in a 5-1 win in Friday’s semifinal, they dropped the 1-0 decision to the Terps.

“A month and a half or two months ago, nobody expected it,” Akron head coach Jared Embick said. “We told the guys… you know sports, the champion is defined by a trophy. But life is not like that. Your ability to handle setbacks, push forward and pick yourselves up every time you fall down is more of what life is about. Unfortunately we don’t get the moment, but this team showed a lot of people about perseverance and how you handle adversity.”

The Zips had a similar story. They started the season 0-1-1. On Sept. 1, they earned a 1-0 win over Pitt. And then they dropped two more matches. From there, they took it one game at a time. They lost their last match on Oct. 20 vs. NIU, and then they went on a run. They won their 15th MAC Tournament title, topping Western Michigan 3-0.

When NCAA Tournament play began, they stepped it up, knocking out Wake Forest 1-0 in the third round and defending-champion Stanford 3-2 in the quarterfinal round. They outscored opponents 15-5. They made it to their second-straight College Cup. But at the end of the day, fell short.

“We stuck together,” Akron goalkeeper Ben Lundt said after the championship match. “We believed in us. We believed in the system. The coaches believed in us too. Even though we had some tough results, the coaching staff kept believing in us. At one point we started believing too. We went on a run. Unfortunately, it ended today.”

Both teams proved that flying under the radar may just be the best place to be. They overcame adversity and proved that the postseason really is a new beginning.

Follow Kathryn on Twitter: @Katknapp99.

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