Nov. 25, 2008

Box Score

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The George Mason men's soccer team advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship for the first time since the 1996 season but were unable to come away with a win, falling to the second-seeded Maryland Terrapins by a final score of 2-0 on Tuesday evening at Ludwig Field in College Park, Md. The loss snaps the Patriots eight-match winning streak and brings an end to a 2008 season that saw Mason advance to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in the past three seasons under head coach Greg Andrulis.

With the loss, the 2008 CAA Champion Patriots wrap up the season with a 14-7-2 record. The 14 wins is the most for the program since the 1996 season. Maryland improves to 19-3-0 with the win, extending its winning streak to 12. The Terps will play the winner of Tuesday's match between California and No. 15 UC Santa Barbara on Saturday at 1 p.m. at Ludwig Field in the third round.

Maryland scored the first goal of the contest 21:16 into the match when freshman forward Casey Townsend scored his 11th goal of the season. Junior midfielder Doug Rodkey found sophomore forward Jason Herrick on the throw-in. Herrick kicked the ball towards the middle of the field to Townsend, who knocked the ball past Mason junior goalkeeper Sean Kelley from 16 yards out to put the Terrapins up 1-0.

The Terps added to their lead in the 43rd minute when senior midfielder Graham Zusi scored his fourth goal of the season on a close-range header to give Maryland a 2-0 lead. A pair of junior midfielders, Drew Yates and Jeremy Hall, were credited with assists on the goal. The Terrapins ended the first half with a 10-2 advantage in shots taken and finished the match with a 19-4 advantage.

Mason held Maryland without a score in the second half but the Patriots were unable to get a goal to cut into the deficit. It marked the first time George Mason was held without a goal since Oct. 22 against Hofstra.

With the loss, Mason falls to 5-8-1 against Maryland in the all-time series. The two sides have split a pair of matches in the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship. The Patriots took a 2-1 overtime win in the first round of the 1986 NCAA Tournament.

The loss brings an end to the careers of seven George Mason seniors. Seniors Kwame Adjeman-Pamboe, Elon Backer, Jonathan Borrajo, Hugh Fike, Tyler Orzak, Lucas Pardew and Michael Vallie all played their final match for the Patriots on Tuesday at Maryland.