No. 2 Maryland men’s soccer stunned by Northwestern, 4-0, in Big Ten opener
The No. 2 Maryland Terrapins suffered their first loss of the 2026 season Friday night, falling 4-0 to Northwestern in their Big Ten Conference opener at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium in Evanston, Illinois. Maryland entered the match with a perfect 5-0 record, but Northwestern struck twice in each half to hand the Terrapins their first regular-season defeat since 2024. The loss also ended Maryland’s impressive 20-match regular-season unbeaten streak. Maryland dropped to 5-1 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play, while Northwestern improved to 3-2-1 and 1-0 in the conference.
Northwestern wasted little time putting Maryland under pressure and opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Peter Riesz scored his second goal of the season at the 13:42 mark, with Ethan Nakolo and Aaron O’Reilly earning assists on the play. The Wildcats continued to create the more dangerous opportunities during the opening half despite Maryland earning the first corner kick of the match. Maryland goalkeeper Laurin Mack made saves in the 20th and 41st minutes, but Northwestern remained in control.
The Wildcats doubled their advantage late in the first half when Italo Addimandi scored in the 37th minute. Tyler Glassberg and Marco Silva picked up assists as Northwestern pushed its lead to 2-0. Maryland, surprisingly, did not record a shot during the opening 45 minutes despite entering the match averaging 16 shots per game through its first five contests. Northwestern finished the opening half with six shots and carried a commanding two-goal advantage into halftime.
Maryland came out much more aggressively after halftime and immediately began generating chances. Rocket Ritarita recorded the Terrapins’ first shot in the 47th minute as Maryland attempted to work its way back into the match. However, any momentum Maryland hoped to build disappeared just minutes later. Northwestern midfielder Andrew Millar scored an unassisted goal at 51:20 to extend the Wildcats’ lead to 3-0.
The Terrapins continued attacking and finally began forcing Northwestern goalkeeper Dominic Pereira into action. Marco Wright produced an effort that required a save in the 57th minute, while Franklin Affanyi, Ljubomir Popovic and several Maryland substitutes later added attempts. Maryland controlled much more of the attacking play during the second half, eventually finishing the match with 13 shots. However, only four of those attempts were on target, and Maryland could not find a way past Pereira and the Northwestern defense.
Northwestern delivered the final blow in the 68th minute. Nakolo, who had already assisted on the opening goal, scored his first goal of the season at 67:06 with Riesz and Gabriel Smyth providing the assists. The goal gave Northwestern a commanding 4-0 advantage and effectively ended any realistic chance of a Maryland comeback. Mack later made another save, but the damage had already been done.
The final statistics told an unusual story. Maryland actually outshot Northwestern 13-11 and held a 4-2 advantage in corner kicks. Northwestern, however, put seven of its 11 shots on goal compared with only four shots on target for Maryland and converted four of those opportunities. That finishing efficiency proved to be the defining difference in the match.
Mack played all 90 minutes in goal for Maryland and finished with three saves while allowing four goals. Pereira recorded the shutout for Northwestern, making three saves according to the official goalkeeping statistics while the Wildcats also received a team save late in the match. Maryland committed 10 fouls compared with Northwestern’s 15, while the Terrapins were called offside twice. Northwestern was caught offside six times.
The result represented a dramatic change from Maryland’s opening five matches. The Terrapins had started the season with victories over Pittsburgh, New Haven, High Point, Delaware and Georgetown. Maryland had scored 13 goals through those five games, including four against Delaware and three against Georgetown, before being shut out for the first time this season against Northwestern.
Maryland’s defense had also entered Friday having found ways to survive several difficult games. The Terrapins had allowed eight goals during their first five contests but had consistently produced enough offense to overcome defensive mistakes. That formula did not work against Northwestern. The Wildcats punished nearly every major opening Maryland gave them and prevented the Terrapins from generating the type of sustained first-half attack that had fueled their undefeated start.
The timing of the loss also makes it more significant than a normal early-season defeat. Maryland entered Evanston ranked No. 2 nationally and carrying substantial momentum following a 3-2 victory over Georgetown on Sept. 7. Instead of carrying that momentum into conference play, the Terrapins now begin their Big Ten schedule from behind. There is plenty of season remaining, but Big Ten points are valuable and Maryland will need to respond quickly.
Maryland will return home to Ludwig Field on Sept. 18 to face Wisconsin. The week between matches gives the Terrapins an opportunity to address the defensive breakdowns that Northwestern exploited while also figuring out why their offense needed an entire half to register its first shot. For a Maryland team with championship expectations, the response to Friday’s loss may prove more important than the loss itself.
MSB Take
This was easily Maryland’s worst performance of the young season, but there is no reason for the Terrapins to panic after one bad night. Maryland was 5-0, ranked No. 2 in the country and riding a 20-match regular-season unbeaten streak before running into a Northwestern team that took advantage of nearly every major opportunity it created. Sometimes a talented team needs a game like this to expose problems that winning can cover up.
The biggest concern was the first half. Maryland cannot go 45 minutes without recording a shot and expect to beat quality Big Ten opponents, especially on the road. The Terrapins were much more dangerous after halftime and finished with more total shots than Northwestern, but by then they were chasing the match and Northwestern was able to play with a comfortable lead.
Maryland still has all the talent needed to compete for the Big Ten championship and make another deep NCAA Tournament run. The important thing now is how Sasho Cirovski’s team responds against Wisconsin. One ugly loss does not define a season, but Maryland needs to make sure Friday night in Evanston becomes an exception rather than the beginning of a trend.
