Can't hurt to open the new year's thread with the news that Maryland's announced a facilities upgrade plan that includes, at long last, a soccer specific stadium: https://static.umterps.com/custompages/buildingchampions/soccer.html
I read about this last month. I thought this was a plan (which you pointed out) to raise money to build these new facilities. I don't there is a "true" plan or schedule.
A month or so I noticed that the U of MD varsity soccer practice field just north of the football stadium was all plowed up and looked to be about to start some type of construction. Recently I checked and found this article saying a dorm will be built on this previous practice field. Anyone know what the plans are for the Terps soccer team's outdoor practice facilities now? The article includes the excerpt below -- but Cole Field House provided an indoor facility, I thought. Perhaps there are some new outdoor fields also given the renovations to Cole? From the article: "The renovation of Cole Field House freed up the Varsity Practice Fields for construction, Grandner said, by giving soccer players another place to practice." https://dbknews.com/2019/04/10/umd-...ty-practice-field-north-campus-resident-life/
The new WMATA purple line construction (that will run through UMD) is already causing havoc on parking on campus with the only good thing is that it really hasn't impacted soccer parking!
The Spring schedule is out, 5 games ... https://umterps.com/news/2020/2/25/mens-soccer-announces-2020-spring-schedule.aspx The Terrapins will participate in the Spring Soccer Cup, which features 10 of the elite programs in college soccer. Maryland will play in the North Division featuring Georgetown, Virginia, Virginia Tech and James Madison. The South Division includes Wake Forest, Duke, Clemson, NC State and North Carolina. .... Maryland will host reigning national runners up Virginia on March 22 at Ludwig Field with kickoff set for 1 p.m. The Terps will head to James Madison on March 28 for a 2:30 p.m. match. ... the Terps will travel to Georgetown on April 1 to face the Hoyas at 9 a.m. Maryland will then host Virginia Tech on April 4 at Ludwig Field with kickoff set for 1 p.m. The Spring Soccer Cup finals will take place April 19 at Wake Forest.
Still holding out hope, now for a ... B1G conference-only schedule. "Other sports affected include men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball. The new conference-only schedules for all fall sports will be released at a later date, the Big Ten said. The conference also said it would continue to evaluate other sports." https://www.espn.com/college-footba...-moving-conference-only-model-all-sports-fall
Some news (and a placeholder). Goff is reporting ... "Jacob Greene, a D.C. United academy defender who was planning to sign a letter-of-intent with the University of Maryland, has agreed to a homegrown contract with the MLS organization, four people familiar with the matter said Monday. Greene committed to Maryland last year, but as his stock rose with United, his likelihood of playing NCAA soccer faded. The Terrapins are expected to announce their recruiting class in the next two weeks." https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2020/11/23/dc-united-jacob-greene-homegrown-contract/
And boom goes the dynamite. Ten recruits, three from overseas, headlined by: Defender Alex Nitzl - Neuried, Germany "He had an extensive club soccer education, tallying 84 appearances for Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich’s youth teams, and also spent time at Hoffenheim. Nitzl represented German youth national teams 21 times, including all five matches of the U-17 World Cup in 2017. He can play across the back line and also as a defensive midfielder. https://dbknews.com/2020/12/03/maryland-mens-soccer-recruits-2021-class/
Don't mind me, just popping in a link to the 2021 Spring schedule: https://umterps.com/sports/mens-soccer/schedule It's a bit odd, 10 games, all B1G games, but playing Rutgers and Penn State twice, plus Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern and Indiana. Disappointing not to see traditional local (nonconference) rivals Georgetown and Virginia.
Don't lose hope. From what I have seen so far, teams are leading with their conference commitments and release non-conf games later.
Big Ten is conference only. Teams are put into groups of three with the closest three regional teams playing each other twice. No OOC for Big Ten.
Over the weekend, UMD called off all in-person classes and requesting students sequester in-place. Doubt MD will allow fans on Sat at their home opener.
Re fans at B1G soccer games this 2021 spring season, I got the excerpt below from Penn State's soccer page, but I've seen the same statement on a couple of other B1G soccer teams' pages, i.e., as of now (and seemingly for the entire season) no fans, other than families of the players, will be allowed to attend any B1G soccer games. From Penn State: "Under current Big Ten guidance, the general public, beyond student-athletes' families, will not be permitted for 2020-21 Penn State men's soccer home games."
I wonder if any of the schools would consider an 'Adopt-a-Player' program, for those players whose family members cannot attend.
Good one. I was wondering that too, i.e., I know some of the players have small families, so perhaps I could be a temporary immediate family member for a couple of hours -- plus OT if that happens. I was also wondering if, e.g., there is an outdoor game (the first Penn State / MD game was indoors, and I see that Penn State's game tomorrow at 12 noon at Rutgers will be indoors too ... ) if someone would, let's say stand on the street or on a hill where you could still see the field but you were outside the stadium and its fence, would you still be told you had to go away ...
We were told that no one but athletics staff was allowed at my son's home games. We watched the stream of the 1st game Sat. and I saw a person standing up a hill behind the teams for most of the game. So I'm wondering that, myself--esp. b/c not many games will be streamed.
Good news, tho! IU vs NU will be streamed on BTN+. I have a feeling they are rolling these out on a week-by-week basis because they aren't sure where the games will be held.
Maryland started 0-3 ... Penn State 3-2 Maryland Maryland 0-1 Ohio State Rutgers 2-0 Maryland ... but have worked their way back to 3-3 Maryland 1-0 Wisconsin Michigan 1-2 Maryland Maryland 2-1 Michigan State Four games left: v Rurgers (postponed) @ Northwestern v Penn State @ Indiana
Now just one (or two?) games left: v Rutgers (postponed) - not sure if/when it will be rescheduled @ Northwestern 1-2 Maryland (four wins in a row) Maryland 2-2 Penn State (MD led 1-0 early and 2-1 very late, but ...) @ Indiana (B1G #1) on Sunday
From what the announcers on BTN were saying, it doesn't look like any games are going to be made up, which is why they are going w/ the "points per game" model.
By the way, kudos to both MD and PSU for playing through what looked to be a monsoon! Terps were one made PK from winning.