MATCH DAY: Penn State MSOC at Maryland

KICKOFF

The Nittany Lions are looking to close out the 2026 season with a win as they hit the road to face the Maryland Terrapins at 8 p.m. at Ludwig Field in College Park, Maryland on Wednesday night.

Penn State took down Duquesne, 3-1, last Wednesday, moving the overall record to 3-8-3.

B1G THINGS

The Nittany Lions had three student-athletes tabbed as Big Ten Players to Watch.  

The group includes Daniel Peluffo-Wiese, Noah Förster, and Joe Buckley. 

Förster made his impact immediate, dishing an assist on Penn State’s first goal under Coach Dow and earning his first career start in game two. 

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN

Graduate Student Grant McIntosh and sophomore Joe Sheridan will serve as the captainship for Penn State in the 2026 season.

Sheridan was one of three PSU returners from last year’s squad, while McIntosh brings four years of college soccer experience to Happy Valley from Duquesne and Akron.

TALKIN' TERRAPINS

Maryland is led by Sasho Cirovski, who is in his 34th season with the program and his 36th season as a coach. 

Cirovski served as head coach at Hartford before joining the Terrapins, beginning in the 1993 season. 

Through 34 seasons with Cirovski at the helm, the Terrapins have compiled a 461-184-77 (.692) overall record.

Heading into Wednesday’s contest, Maryland has a 10-4-1 record overall and a 4-4-1 mark in the Big Ten Conference. 

In their most recent matchup, Maryland lost to Washington, 2-1.

The Terrapins are a physical team, averaging 8.47 fouls per game, ranking 1st in the conference and 10th nationally.

Goaltender Laurin Mack ranks 1st in the Big Ten and 23rd in the nation with 4.67 saves per game. Mack also leads the Big Ten in total saves with 70, ranking 12th nationally.

Midfielder Henry Bernstein leads the Big Ten in assists per game, averaging .69, which ranks 4th nationally. Bernstein also leads the Big Ten in total assists with 9, placing him 10th in the country.

STORY OF THE SERIES

This game marks the 55th meeting between the Nittany Lions and the Terrapins, dating back to 1948.

The all-time series is in favor of Maryland, with a record of 24-21-9. The most recent matchup last season was a draw in University Park, 2-2.

The Blue and White have not lost to the Terrapins since the 2018 season.