University of Maryland

College Park, MD 20741

Maryland Northeast

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Meghan Ryan Nemzer

In her first year at the helm of the program, Nemzer led the Terps to a 4-8-5 overall record. Maryland finished with three wins in Big Ten play, the most since 2019. Of those three wins, Nemzer led the team to the first-ever program victory over Michigan in the Big Ten opener, along with recording the first ever back-to-back road conference wins since the program joined the Big Ten in 2014.

A Maryland native, 2021 Big Ten Champion and National Semifinalist Meghan Ryan Nemzer was named the new head coach of the Maryland women's soccer program by Barry P. Gossett Director of Athletics Damon Evans on December 10, 2021.

Nemzer, a native of Crofton, Maryland, who graduated from St. Mary's High School in Annapolis returned to her home state after spending the last 14 years on the coaching staff at her alma mater, Rutgers University.

Nemzer spent eight seasons as Rutgers' Associate Head Coach between 2014-21, helping the Scarlet Knights to the 2021 College Cup, which they played in last weekend, and a final ranking of No. 3 in the nation. Rutgers captured the 2021 Big Ten Championship, going undefeated in conference play (10-0) and posting an overall record of 19-4-2.

This past season, the Scarlet Knights earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament on the way to the College Cup, where they dropped a narrow 1-0 decision to eventual champion Florida State. With Nemzer, Rutgers earned bids in the last 10 NCAA Tournaments and 12 times in her 14 years on staff with two NCAA College Cup appearances. In 2021, the Scarlet Knights posted the first undefeated season in Big Ten conference play since 2005.

Nemzer was part of the 2021 North Region Staff of the Year, led by head coach Mike O'Neill. In 2018, she was named one of the Top 5 Associate/Assistant Coaches in the NCAA by Top Drawer Soccer.

Over the last 14 years with Nemzer on staff, Rutgers posted 12 seasons with double-figure victories. Since joining the Big Ten Conference in 2014, the Scarlet Knights have a 111-32-29 overall record for a 73 percent winning percentage, the second-best record among all Big Ten schools during that time. In Big Ten games, they compiled a record of 56-15-18, also for a 73 percent winning percentage. The 15 conference losses are the fewest by any Big Ten team since 2014.

Throughout Nemzer's coaching tenure with the Scarlet Knights, the program has produced eight MAC Hermann Trophy candidate selections, 13 United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA) All-American selections, 35 United Soccer Coaches All-Region honorees, 34 All-Big Ten selections, including 14 first-team honorees.

This season, Rutgers had two semifinalists (Gabby Provenzano and Frankie Tagliaferri) for the MAC Hermann Trophy and has had a semifinalist for the National Player of the Year award for three straight seasons and fourth in the last five years - Amirah Ali (2020), Amirah Ali (2019), Casey Murphy (2017).

Rutgers also earned the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2020-21 season, marking the 11th consecutive year the Scarlet Knights have been awarded.

With Nemzer as the orchestrator of the RU defense, the Scarlet Knights have not posted a goals-against average higher than 1.06 in Nemzer's coaching career (since 2008), 10 times recording a GAA under 1.00 and nine times posting a GAA under 0.68 – including the College Cup season of 2021.

Under Nemzer's guidance, eight Scarlet Knights went on to play professional soccer over the last six seasons with six being drafted into the NWSL.

On the club level, Nemzer has excelled with Players Development Academy (PDA) as the head coach of PDA the Arsenal and assistant coach of the PDA Slammers. Nemzer coached the Arsenal to a 2015 U17 ECNL National Championship, and has won two other ECNL national titles as an assistant with the Slammers (2014, 2013). She was the first female head coach in ECNL history to win a national championship.

As head of the Arsenal, Nemzer has guided the club to continued success. The Arsenal finished 2016 third at the U-18 ECNL National Championships, capturing the ECNL Northeast Conference title. The team ended the 2014 season in first place in the ECNL Northeast Division en route to a No. 5 national ranking. In 2012, Nemzer coached the Arsenal to the No. 2 spot in the nation and won the ECNL Northeast Conference U14 Championship. The squad finished third at nationals that year.

Nemzer served as a co-captain for the Scarlet Knights for three consecutive seasons (2005-07), starting with her sophomore year. After an injury caused her to miss her freshman campaign, she started 67 of 75 games through the rest of her career. Nemzer was a key figure on a defense that allowed 0.85 goals per match in 2004 and boasted a 0.88 goals-against average in 2005. That season the team post clean sheets against eight opponents. In 2006 Nemzer anchored a defense that was arguably one of the best in the country. The team finished 16-3-4, allowing a mere six goals and posting 16 shutouts, the most in the program's history.

Nemzer was a two-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star, a three-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week, an Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Defensive Player of the Week and a SoccerBuzz Elite Team of the Week honoree once. After her junior year, she was named Second Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region by SoccerBuzz magazine in 2006, and after her senior year in 2007, she was given an All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Rutgers in 2008.

Meghan and her husband, Joe Nemzer, welcomed their daughter, Bethany, in September 2020.

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Katie Ely

Head coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer officially welcomed Katie Ely to her staff on Jan. 6, 2022 as an assistant coach to work primarily with the goalkeepers. Ely will be entering her second season with the Terrapins entering the 2023 campaign.

"I am thrilled to have Katie joining the staff," said Nemzer. "Katie brings over 15 years of coaching experience and knowledge to the program. She has coached at the highest level, including in the National Championship game. Katie is one of the best and well respected goalkeeper coaches in the country. She is a proven winner and I am excited to build the program and culture with Katie. She is a great role model for our student athletes and we are lucky to call her a Terp."

Ely comes to Maryland after a seven-year stint at Georgia. Ely helped lead the Bulldogs to an 11-win campaign in 2021, the most wins by a Georgia team since the 2013 season. Ely's goalkeepers posted six shutouts this past year, ranking second-most by a Georgia team in her tenure. Overall, Ely's goalkeepers combined for 32 shutouts during her time in Athens.

"I am very thankful for the opportunity to be part of this university, athletic department, and women's soccer program," said Ely. "It is an awesome time to be a Terp. The opportunity to bring winning soccer back to Maryland with Meghan is very exciting. Meghan's coaching and personal philosophies are what drew me to the university and I can't wait to get started!"

During her early years with the Bulldogs, Ely helped guide goalkeeper Louise Hogrell to national recognition as she led the SEC is saves per game and racked up weekly awards from the conference and TopDrawerSoccer.com. Hogrell ended her career as one of the program's all-time great goalkeepers, ranking second in school history in career saves (346) and fifth in career shutouts (15).

Graduate student Emily Wegner thrived in the net in four seasons under Wegner from 2018-21, earning Second Team All-SEC honors in the spring of 2021. Wegner finished second in the SEC in shutouts (7) and was third in save percentage (.795) in the shortened spring season. Ely guided her to a career-high 70 saves this past fall, while Wegner amassed 11 wins in net for the Bulldogs.

Prior to her time with Georgia, Ely spent two seasons at Missouri from 2013-14. She worked primarily with the Tigers' goalkeepers while in Columbia, helping McKenzie Sauerwein set a school record in saves in 2013. Sauerwein recorded six shutouts in 2014, helping the Tigers advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament and a 12-7-3 record.

Prior to joining the Missouri staff, Ely spent two seasons as the goalkeeper coach at Duke. While in Durham, Ely helped the Blue Devils reach the 2011 and 2012 NCAA College Cup. The Blue Devil goalkeepers also set single season records in shutouts (16) and goals against average (0.48) under Ely's direction.

Ely spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Syracuse before joining Duke's staff. While with the Orange, she coached goalkeepers who set the school's career saves and shutouts records and earned All-Big East Rookie Team honors.

Ely graduated from Fairfield (Conn.) University in 2007, where she helped the Stags win the MAAC regular season title in 2002 and the MAAC Tournament title in 2007. She ranks first in school history in saves average, fifth in saves and sixth in wins, shutouts and goals against average.

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Alex Ng

Head coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer announced Alex Ng was promoted to the role of Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator on May 30, 2023. Ng was originally hired as an assistant coach with the Terrapins on January 7, 2022. Regarded as one of the fastest rising young coaches in college soccer, Ng brings a dynamic skill set to College Park blending sports performance, video analysis and on field tactics.

“I am excited to add Alex to the coaching staff. In just a short amount of time he has established himself as one of the top and upcoming coaches in the game. He is a great recruiter and has tremendous ties to the DMV area. He is returning to the Big Ten where his knowledge of the league and passion for developing players will have an immediate impact on our student-athletes. His love for the game and his experience will only enhance our championship vision for the program.”

Ng (pronounced “ING”) comes to Maryland after two seasons at Richmond, joining the Spiders’ staff prior to the spring 2021 season. He helped lead Richmond to a six-win improvement this past fall, as the Spiders secured seven wins and advanced to their first Atlantic 10 Tournament appearance in seven years. Richmond finished the season with the program's most conference wins since 2011, and all five of those wins came by way of a shutout, which is also the most conference shutouts since 2011.

This past fall, Ng was named to the United Soccer Coaches 30 Under 30 Program, one of just 17 college coaches across the sport to make the list.

He serves as a Network Talent ID Scout with US Soccer and also attends National Events and local club matches in the DMV area to identify, evaluate and recommend female players for the United States Youth National Teams. Ng is a Youth National Team Coach for Local and Regional Identification Centers and Mini-Camps and also assists in managing the local depth charts for the u14-u19 age groups for the Youth National Team.

“I want to thank Meg and Maryland Soccer for giving me the opportunity to join this exciting staff and program,” said Ng. “I am honored to embark on this journey at an institution with the academic and athletic pedigree as the University of Maryland. What excited me most about this team was the immense potential for success for this program with the growing athletic department, administrative support, resources for student athlete development, upcoming facilities upgrades and above all else – the chance to work and learn from someone like Meg. The chance to collaborate and work with some high quality people and coaches was too attractive to pass up. I am eager to meet the players and dive into training so we can work to bring Maryland back to being a perennial power in the Big Ten and the nation.”

Prior to his time at Richmond, Ng served on the coaching staff at Big Ten counterpart Indiana as a volunteer assistant coach. He also held the role of video analyst for the Hoosiers in 2019. He oversaw all aspects of sports performance, including training periodization, training and match warm ups, weight lifting program, formulating individual athlete development plans and offseason programing.

Ng has also worked with US Soccer as a video analyst attending various US Youth National Team Camps. Ng was one of the youngest full-time video analysts in NCAA women's soccer in 2019, helping develop and implement all video operations within the program.

Prior to Indiana, Ng spent four seasons as a student assistant with Valparaiso Women's Soccer, where he assisted with game day and training sessions, as well as operated the team's video and performance analysis systems. In addition, he created and ran the team's social media accounts. Ng was also a student-athlete at Valparaiso, completing his undergraduate research thesis on a soccer injury movement screen while serving as the football team's punter all four seasons.

In addition to his time with Indiana and Valparaiso, Ng has coached with a variety of club teams such as Valpo Soccer Club, Cutters Soccer Club and the Royal Palm Beach Strikers. He also spent a summer as assistant coach and game day operations coordinator for Detroit Sun FC, who advanced to the National Championship Tournament of the United Women's Soccer League.

Ng, who graduated Valparaiso with a degree in Exercise Science, has also earned his United States Soccer Federation "C" License and holds a United Soccer Coaches National Diploma. He also holds his National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) certification.

Ng is also an Executive Council Member of NSCA Soccer Special Interest Group (SIG). In this role, he works to bridge the gap between traditional strength and conditioning coaches and soccer coaches by sharing information between industries, and continues to lead the organization of an annual conference of Soccer Strength and Conditioning Professionals.

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Sasho Cirovski

Upon his arrival in College Park in 1993, Sasho Cirovski has transformed Maryland into a national soccer power, leading the Terps to the 2018, 2008 and 2005 NCAA titles, nine College Cup appearances, and 15 conference titles, all the while producing numerous top-level professional players. Now entering his 30th season at Maryland, the 2018 Top Drawer Soccer National Coach of the Year and 2005 NSCAA National Coach of the Year has instilled his passion for excellence in a soccer program that expects to compete for the national title every season, while also working to elevate the college game on a national stage with innovative new ideas and proposals.

THE WINNINGEST COACH IN MARYLAND SOCCER HISTORY

MARYLAND ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE

MOST NCAA TOURNAMENT APPEARANCES IN MEN'S D1 HISTORY (30)

Cirovski Highlights:

Team Accomplishments

2018, 2008, 2005 NCAA Champions

28 NCAA postseason appearances with Maryland (22 straight)

Three Big Ten Tournament Championships (2014, 2015, 2016)

Three Big Ten Regular Season Championships (2014, 2016, 2022)

Six Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championships (1996, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013)

Nine appearances at the College Cup (1998, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2018)

Two NCAA postseason appearances with Hartford

Two North Atlantic Conference championships

Four Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles

26 straight winning seasons (1994-2019)

28 straight fall seasons with 10+ wins

School-record 23 wins in 2008

School-record 15 shutouts in 2008, 2010

School-record 66 goals in 2005

Player Honors (College)

MAC Hermann Trophy winners Jason Garey (2005) and Patrick Mullins (2012, 2013)

10 Conference Players of the Year (Leo Cullen, 1997; Jason Garey, 2005; Chris Seitz, 2006; Omar Gonzalez, 2007; Patrick Mullins, 2013; Gordon Wild (o), Alex Crognale (d), Cody Niedermeier (gk), 2016; Eryk Williamson (mf), 2017: Ben Bender (mf), 2021)

One National Freshman of the Year (Taylor Twellman, 1998)

Three Conference Freshman of the Year (Jeremy Hall, 2006; Patrick Mullins, 2010; Joshua Bolma, 2021)

53 first team all-conference selections

34 All-America honors

Nine Conference Tournament MVPs (Pierre Venditti, 1996; Abe Thompson, 2002; Jeremy Hall, 2008; Zac MacMath, 2010; Patrick Mullins, 2012 and 2013; Mael Corboz (o), 2014 and Zack Steffen (d), 2014; Tsubasa Endoh (o), 2015 and Cody Niedermeier (d), 2015; Gordon Wild (o), Alex Crognale (d), 2016)

10 MAC Hermann Trophy Award finalists

Player Honors (International/Professional)

13 US Men's National Team Players.

21 Players that have appeared for full national teams.

Six Players Named to FIFA World Cup squads: Dayne St. Clair (2022, Canada), Rodney Wallace (2018, Costa Rica), Omar Gonzalez (2014, USA), Graham Zusi (2014, USA), Maurice Edu (2010, USA), Clarence Goodson (2010, USA)

Four Olympians.

One MLS MVP (Taylor Twellman).

One MLS Goalkeeper of the Year (Zack Steffen).

One MLS Defender of the Year (Omar Gonzalez).

One MLS Golden Boot Winner (Taylor Twellman 2x).

One MLS Comeback Player of the Year (Rodney Wallace).

Two MLS Young Player of the Year selections (Maurice Edu, 2006 and Omar Gonzalez, 2009)

Eight MLS All-Stars.

Six MLS Best XI selections.

Three No. 1 picks in the MLS collegiate draft (Leo Cullen, 1998, Maurice Edu, 2006, Ben Bender, 2021)

49 players selected in the MLS SuperDraft

Seven MLS homegrown signees.

Cirovski has turned Maryland into the preeminent producer of professional soccer talent among college teams in the United States. Terps have participated in three consecutive FIFA World Cups and 12 Terps have earned caps for the US Men’s National Team. Cirovski has developed 49 MLS SuperDraft picks and seven MLS homegrown signings. Cirovski has produced six players that have appeared at the FIFA Men's World Cup.

Some of the most prominent players in the last 20 years of American soccer, including Taylor Twellman, Maurice Edu, Robbie Rogers, Clarence Goodson, Omar Gonzalez. Zack Steffen and Graham Zusi have gone from Ludwig Field to professional stardom.With established stalwarts like Steffen, Gonzalez, Zusi and AJ DeLaGarza, along with up-and-coming talents including Ben Bender, Eryk Williamson, Donovan Pines, Chase Gasper and Dayne St. Clair, Maryland players will continue to play a major part in the future of North American soccer.

Under Cirovski's guidance, the Terps have brought fans out to Ludwig Field in record numbers. Maryland was tops in attendance nationally in 2016, averaging over 4,000 fans per game and 52,189 total. The Terps also led the country in attendance in 2019. Cirovski's efforts to build a winning team that plays an exciting brand of soccer are only matched by his efforts to build Ludwig Field into one of the top soccer venues in the country.

In 2022, Cirovski led Maryland to the Big Ten Regular Season title and a top-10 national ranking for the majority of the year. The Terps went 11-3-5, securing its 28th consecutive fall season with 10+ wins. The Terps are now 48-21-7 under Cirovski in the NCAA Tournament. The Terrapins have won three national titles since 2000, tied with Stanford and Indiana for the most in the nation in that span.

Cirovski led the Terps to the NCAA Tournament for the 21st straight NCAA Tournament in 2021, the second longest streak for any program in the country and the longest for any single head coach. The NCAA Tournament berth gave Cirovski 29 for his career, the most of any men's coach in Division I history. The Terps went 12-4-2 and featured the Big Ten Midfielder of the Year Ben Bender and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Joshua Bolma.

The 2020 season, delayed till the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, saw Cirovski guide the Terps from an 0-3 start to their 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament and 26th overall in his time at Maryland. Cirovski also won his 400th match as Maryland head coach during the season, becoming just the sixth coach in NCAA history to win 400 games at one Division I program. The Terps also had four players selected to the All-Big Ten team and had a program record 14 student-athletes earn Big Ten All-Academic honors.

In 2019, Cirovski's squad was the top-ranked team in the nation to begin the year and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 25th time in his tenure. The Terps saw six players earn All-Big Ten honors and had a school record eight players receive Academic All-Big Ten plaudits. Matt Di Rosa was named the program's eighth CoSIDA Academic All-American during Cirovski's tenure and Johannes Bergmann, an All-Big Ten First Team selection, was also selected as a Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship winner.

Cirovski also saw the continued progression of his former players into international duty, with Chase Gasper earning his first US National Team appearance and Zack Steffen solidifying himself as the top goalkeeper on the USMNT. As of August of 2019, the Terps had the most former players of any college program plying their trade in MLS.

The 2018 campaign saw Cirovski lead Maryland back to the top of the college soccer world as Maryland captured its fourth national championship and third under Cirovski's leadership. The Terps rebounded from a 4-5-3 start to finish the season on a 9-1-1 tear. Maryland did not give up a goal in the NCAA Tournament becoming the first team in program history to go through a tournament not scored upon. The title made Cirovski the ninth coach to win at least three NCAA Division I Championships.

Cirovski's squad started it's title campaign at home against NC State before ripping off road victories against sixth-seeded Duke and third-seeded Kentucky to advance to the College Cup. The Terps then topped Big Ten rival second-seeded Indiana in the semifinals before beating Akron in the national title match. Maryland's stingy back line was led by second-team All-American center back Donovan Pines and All-Region goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. Cirovski's offense was led by senior captain Amar Sejdic, who was named the most outstanding offensive player of the NCAA Tournament.

Following the season, St. Clair, Sejdic, Chase Gasper and Andrew Samuels were all selected in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Cirovski has coached 47 players picked in the SuperDraft. Pines was signed by DC United as a homegrown signing becoming the seventh Terp to sign an MLS Homegrown deal.

The 2017 season saw Cirovski put his name into the college coaching record books once again, becoming just the ninth coach in Division I history to win 400 career matches. The Terps opened up the season with 13 straight games unbeaten (10-0-3) and completed a school record 30-game regular season unbeaten streak that dated back to 2015. Maryland boasted three All-Big Ten selections, including Big Ten Midfielder of the Year Eryk Williamson. Jake Rozhansky was a first-team selection while Donovan Pines was named to the second team. Williamson signed with the Portland Timbers as an MLS Homegrown player, while Rozhanksy signed overseas in Israel. Gordon Wild was selected in the MLS SuperDraft by Atlanta United.

The 2016 season was one for the record books for the Terps, as the squad posted a program-record 15-game winning streak and also carried a program-record 25-game unbeaten streak through the final game of the year. Maryland - which boasted its first undefeated regular season at 16-0-2 - also captured its fifth consecutive tournament crown when it defeated Wisconsin, 2-1, in the title game in Westfield, Ind. The Terps also captured the regular season title and snagged the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Maryland nearly swept all the Big Ten special honors, as Gordon Wild was named Offensive Player of the Year, Alex Crognale snagged top defensive honors, and Cody Niedermeier was tabbed Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year while Cirovski earned his first Big Ten Coach of the Year honor since Maryland became a member of the conference in 2014. Maryland also posted two NSCAA First Team All-Americans in Wild and Crognale - the first time two Terrapins earned that honor since 2010. Crognale signed a Homegrown contract with Columbus Crew while fellow senior defender Chris Odoi-Atsem was drafted in the first round by D.C. United.

Cirovski was instrumental in helping the Terps make a stellar transition to the Big Ten in 2014, leading Maryland to regular season and tournament championships in its inaugural season in the league and its fourth straight conference tournament title a year later. In 2015, Maryland advanced all the way to the quarterfinals, defeating previous national champions Virginia and Notre Dame along the way. Two more players were drafted as midfielder Tsubasa Endoh (first round) and Ivan Magalhaes (second round) each heard their names called at the 2016 MLS SuperDraft.

Maryland returned to the College Cup for the second straight season in 2013 after capturing ACC regular season and tournament championships for the second consecutive season. The Terps fell to Notre Dame in the national championship game and Patrick Mullins became the first player at Maryland to win two MAC Hermann Trophies.

Maryland put together one of its finest campaigns in 2012, boasting the top winning percentage and scoring offense in the country. The Terps captured the ACC regular season and tournament titles and advanced to the College Cup before bowing out in penalty kicks in the national semifinals. Patrick Mullins was named the MAC Hermann Trophy Winner and all three seniors - Taylor Kemp, John Stertzer, and London Woodberry - all landed in the MLS through either the MLS SuperDraft or homegrown contracts.

The Terps boasted another stellar campaign under the tutelage of Cirovski in 2011. Maryland jumped out to its best start since 1968 with an 11-0-1 record to begin the 2011 season. In that epic span, Cirovski netted career win No. 300 against Radford on Sept. 4. The Terps capped the year 14-4-3 overall and fell to a tough Louisville squad in the Sweet Sixteen. Maryland made its nation-best 10th straight appearance in the third round. Casey Townsend and John Stertzer garnered NSCAA All-American honors and Townsend was subsequently drafted fifth overall by Chivas USA in the MLS SuperDraft. Fellow senior Alex Lee was picked up by FC Dallas in the supplemental draft.

Three Terps were drafted and another two signed MLS Homegrown contracts after a successful 2010 campaign in which the Terps went 19-3-1 and racked up its second ACC title in three seasons. Maryland tied a school-record with 15 shutouts while boasting the top goals for and goals against average nationally. Sporting a youth-laden squad in 2009, Maryland advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth straight year. An unseeded Maryland squad cruised past both Penn State and Harvard on the road to reach the Elite Eight where it eventually fell to national champion Virginia.

In 2008, the Terps established the `Gold Standard', capturing the program's third national title and winning more games (23) than any other squad in program history. The team also set program-bests in shutouts (15) and consecutive wins (16) as well as registering a Ludwig Field-record crowd of 6,500 in Maryland's bout with then-No. 1 Wake Forest. The 2008 season marked the first time in the Cirovski-era that the Terps won both the NCAA Tournament and the ACC Tournament. To top it off, Cirovski eclipsed long-time head coach Doyle Royal to become Maryland men's soccer winningest coach in a win against Duke on Sept. 19.

For the second straight season, Cirovski's Terps had their fair share of critics in the preseason as Maryland lost two of the top players in the nation in 2007. Maurice Edu, a junior midfielder, was the No. 1 overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft on January 12. He was the second Maryland player to ever be taken with the first pick. Sophomore keeper Chris Seitz also decided to turn to the professional ranks and was chosen No. 4 overall in the SuperDraft. It marked just the fourth time in MLS SuperDraft history that two student-athletes from the same school were selected in the top five.

Even with the loss of arguably the best midfielder and goalkeeper in the country, the Terps finished 10-6-5 and earned a seed in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth straight season. Maryland is the only team in the nation that can claim that feat. The Terps advanced to the third round of the championship and was the only squad to do so every year for the past six seasons.

Despite losing six student-athletes from the national championship team in 2005, Cirovski led the Terps back to the NCAA Tournament in 2006, marking the sixth-straight season that Maryland advanced to the postseason. The Terps advanced to the Sweet Sixteen and finished the season with a 16-5-1 record.

The 2005 championship run did not mark the arrival of the Maryland program, but helped validate its place alongside the nation's elite. In addition to a fourth-straight College Cup appearance, the Terps won the ACC regular season title and posted a 19-4-2 mark. In addition, Cirovski helped mentor Maryland's first Hermann Trophy winner in Jason Garey, who left Maryland as the school's all-time leader in goals (60) and points (140) and was the third pick in the MLS SuperDraft. Cirovski was named the ACC Coach of the Year for the second time in his career, and was the NSCAA National Coach of the Year for the first time in his career as the Terps brought home their first national title since 1968.

In addition to his leadership on the sidelines, Cirovski is also a leader as the chairman of the men's soccer NSCAA Division I committee. As chairman, Cirovski was the architect in creating the position of NSCAA Program Director, a major triumph for the sport. This position will be the singular voice of college soccer in dealing with NCAA legislative issues, overseeing College Cups and elevating the significance and status of the sport. He was also vital in brokering the television partnership between Fox Soccer Channel and the NSCAA, guaranteeing a weekly spot for college soccer on television.

"Sasho has not only a vision and a passion to improve and promote college soccer but he has the knowledge and the dedication to pursue new ideas," then Creighton head coach Elmar Bolowich said. "His enthusiasm for our sport is infectious and it will unite Division I college coaches to pursue our objectives and achieve them."

Cirovski has brought success to every program he has been a part of. After helping his alma mater, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in a decade as an assistant coach under Bob Gansler, he assumed the top spot at Hartford in 1991. In his two seasons with the Hawks, he took the team to back-to-back 13-6-3 records and consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in school history. He then came to Maryland in 1993 to help resurrect a once-proud program that had been to only one NCAA Tournament in the last 16 years.

Cirovski has since built Maryland into one of the top programs in the nation and has given the Terps some of the finest seasons in school history.

Achieving a level of excellence again at Maryland, Cirovski has added the respect of more people than ever for the Terrapins. He has combined an unparalleled ability to motivate and teach with exceptional mastery of technique to become one of the most talented and versatile soccer coaches in the nation. And whether it's on the field or in the classroom, Cirovski's student-athletes give it all they've got, and it shows.

In addition to the accomplishments of his 29-year coaching career with the Terps, Cirovski was also a standout student-athlete himself. He began his career at Wisconsin-Milwaukee where he was a four-year letterwinner. As a senior, he won the Herman Kluge Award for Male Athlete of the Year, and, in 1998, he was inducted into the UWM Athletic Hall of Fame. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1985 and his master's in 1989. He then spent parts of three seasons as a professional player and coach with the teams in the Canadian Soccer League, and the National Professional Soccer League. His first taste of coaching came in 1987 in the Canadian Soccer League.

Cirovski is in his 34th year of coaching overall, and holds an "A" coaching license from the U.S. Soccer Federation, as well as an Advanced National Diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America. During the summer of 1997, he served as the assistant coach of the JVC U-17 World Youth Championship team, which played against Argentina, Uruguay, Egypt and two domestic camps. The team competed at the U-17 World Cup Championship in Egypt held in September of 1997. Cirovski also worked as an assistant coach for the U.S. U-20 National Team.

Cirovski's wife, the former Shannon Higgins, played collegiate soccer at North Carolina and entered the National Soccer Hall of Fame in the fall of 2002. The couple has three daughters; Hailey, Karli, and Ellie.

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Jake Pace

Former Terrapin standout Jake Pace is entering his sixth season as assistant coach after serving as director of soccer operations for the previous four seasons. Pace was named an assistant by head coach Sasho Cirovski in January of 2018.

Pace's association with Maryland soccer has been filled with wins. In his 12 seasons with the program as a player and staff member, Maryland has won 178 matches, captured a national title, advanced to three College Cups, won six conference tournament championships and won four conference regular season championships. The Terps have been to the NCAA Tournament in all 12 of Pace's seasons with the program.

In 2021, Pace helped mentor six All-Big Ten selections, including Big Ten Midfielder of the Year Ben Bender and Big Ten Freshman of the Year Joshua Bolma. The Terps made their 21st consecutive NCAA Tournament, the second longest streak in the country.

In 2020, Pace and the Terps advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 20th consecutive season. The Terps had four players named All-Big Ten selections and a program record 14 student-athletes placed on the Big Ten All-Academic Team. The Terps had two more players selected in the MLS SuperDraft in Ben and Matt Di Rosa.

In 2019, Pace helped a young Terps team advanced to the program's 19th straight NCAA Tournament. Maryland had six players named All-Big Ten selections, including first-team picks Johannes Bergmann and Eli Crognale, who went on to sign professional contracts in USL.

In his first season as an assistant, Pace helped lead the Terps to the 2018 National Championship, Maryland's first since 2008. He helped cultivate a Maryland back line that did not give up a goal in the entirety of the NCAA Tournament and featured All-American Donovan Pines. The Terps had four players (Dayne St. Clair, Chase Gasper, Andrew Samuels, Amar Sejdic) taken in the MLS SuperDraft, while Pines signed a homegrown deal with D.C. United. As the Terps' primary goalkeeper coach, Pace was key in the development of St. Clair, who emerged as one of the top keepers in the country in his final season.

As director of operations, Pace managed the Terps' budget, fundraising, travel logistics and team events. During his time as director of ops, Maryland won two Big Ten Regular Season titles and three Big Ten Tournament titles. Between 2012 and 2016 as a player and staff member, Pace played a role in five consecutive conference tournament championship squads (ACC and Big Ten).

After seeing action as a reserve defender as a freshman, Pace moved up top to the striker position where he shined in his final three seasons at Maryland. He finished his career with 13 goals, including a career-high six as a captain his senior year. Pace played an important role in back-to-back Atlantic Coast Conference championships in 2012 and 2013 and helped guide the Terps to the College Cup in each of his last two seasons at Maryland.

Pace won a pair of state championships with River Hill High School as a two-time Baltimore Sun First Team All-Met selection prior to his arrival to College Park. He earned a bachelor's degree in kinesiology from Maryland and recently received his MBA from UMUC.