William James Herve hasn’t been in College Park for very long, but the freshman has already made a name for himself with his late-game heroics. After facing a 1-0 deficit to Northwestern late in the game, Herve scored consecutive goals to walk off the Wildcats in overtime, 2-1.
Despite dominating most of the game, the Terps (2-2-2) failed to get anything past Northwestern goalie Miha Miskovic until the game was nearly finished. Camden Buescher’s volley put Maryland on the ropes, but Herve’s late strike was the equalizer his team needed. And in overtime, his 95th-minute goal gave the Terps their second win a row.
The first half belonged to Maryland, which completely dominated in the opening 45 minutes of the game. The Terrapins couldn’t put a ball in the back of the net to take a lead, but it was clear that they had the better performance.
Eric Matzelevich stormed out of the gates, registering four shots in the first period of play. His first two opportunities were both on goal, as Miskovic was forced to make consecutive saves to keep the game scoreless.
But the sophomore’s best chance to break the ice came in the 17th minute. After intercepting a pass from Miskovic, Matzelevich maneuvered past the goalie and found himself adjacent to the left goalpost. He was left with an open net, but the correct angle never presented itself and the shot went wide.
As the teams headed into the break, Maryland held an 8-0 advantage in shots and totaled three looks on net. The Terrapins also earned four corner kicks, but nothing amounted from those set pieces.
In what has become somewhat commonplace for the Terps this season, they failed to enter the second half with the same ferocity as they did the first. They weren’t expected to keep Northwestern from generating a single shot, but the Wildcats made significant adjustments to pierce Maryland’s back line.
Amar Sejdic nearly scored less than 30 seconds in once play resumed, but his team was mostly outclassed as play continued. The Wildcats rattled off the next three shots, the last of which would put Maryland on the ropes.
In the 61st minute, a Northwestern cross came into the box and was headed by Jose Del Valle. The ball ricocheted high in the air, prompting Andrew Samuels to attempt a clear. He didn’t put enough on the ball, however, and it soon found the right leg of Buescher. His strike bent from left to right, finding a path into the back of the net. Just like that, the Terps were behind.
A number of shots were traded back and forth, and Paul Bin nearly evened things up. After subbing in in the 72nd minute, he managed to get three shots off in a six-minute span. However, two were saved and the last was blocked, and time was running out for Maryland.
But in the 84th minute, it was a freshman who stepped up for his first marquee moment as a member of the Terps. On a long ball from near midfield, a header from Matzelevich rolled towards a running William James Herve. The first-year midfielder tapped the ball ever so slightly towards the right goal post, and it somehow evaded the defense to tie the game and send this one past regulation.
In overtime, it took over four minutes for either team to register a shot. But in the 95th minute, Herve’s strike went directly at Miskovic. After a stunning start to the game, he let the ball go right through his legs and into the back of the net.
HERVE ENDS IT! TERPS WIN!#FearTheTurtle pic.twitter.com/W8rQDI611q
— Maryland Soccer (@MarylandMSoccer) September 15, 2018
Three things to know
1. William James Herve was the hero. Maryland has tripled its goals total on the season, and it’s all thanks to Herve. His first goal of the game was an equalizer in the 84th minute at a time when the game seemed all but lost. And in overtime, he forced Miskovic to make a play, and that’s all that was needed to steal a game on the road.
2. Dayne St. Clair was mainly untested. He allowed a goal on a volley, but any goalie would be hard-pressed to make a save on Buescher’s terrific strike. Outside of that one misstep, the junior had to make just two saves on the day, which is a testament to the defense in front of him.
3. Time to go back home. Maryland’s road trip didn’t last long, as its next game will be right back at Ludwig Field. On Monday night, the Terrapins will take on William & Mary of the Colonial Athletic Association.