After kicking off the 2019 campaign with a 1-0 win over USF, the No. 1 Maryland men’s soccer team failed to keep its season undefeated, losing 2-0 to No. 12 Virginia in the Battle for the DMV Monday night.
While on the outside it might appear to be a devastating defeat for the defending national champions, for coach Sasho Cirovski, it’s simply part of his master plan. He intentionally schedules tough matchups early in the year to give his team things to work on. Last season, the Terrapins faced four ranked opponents in nonconference play early on, which helped strengthen ties within the squad en route to its title run.