Maryland wins Big Ten championship over Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio (Via University of Maryland) – No. 3 seed Maryland upended top-seed Ohio State, 2-0, en route to its fourth-straight conference tournament title Sunday in the 2015 Big Ten Conference Men’s Soccer Championship at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium.

Freshman Eryk Williamson and senior Tsubasa Endoh both netted goals for Maryland (10-5-5) which won its 32nd league championship and its eighth tournament crown. The win snapped a nine-game winning streak for Ohio State (13-6-2).

Williamson gave Maryland the early lead in the 10th minute with his fourth goal in the last four games. Ivan Magalhaes got a hold of a Mael Corboz corner and his header ricocheted off the crossbar to the leg of Williamson, who volleyed home the score. It was the first deficit for Ohio State at home since August 30.

Endoh provided the Terps with the insurance goal in the 88th minute. Williamson again played a hand in the score when his shot was saved by OSU goalkeeper Chris Froschauer and Endoh scooped the rebound for his fifth goal of the season. Endoh – a senior from Tokyo, Japan – was later named Most Valuable Offensive Player of the tournament.

The Maryland defense withstood seven second-half shots and redshirt junior goalkeeper Cody Niedermeier made a highlight-reel save late in the contest to hold off a pesky Buckeye offense.

“We needed a championship performance to be successful and we got one today,” head coach Sasho Cirovski said. “I couldn’t be more proud of our team. After an exhausting game on Friday, both emotionally and physically, to come back today and put forth this kind of effort shows our championship fiber and character and shows how much we’ve grown since the beginning of the year.

“It’s quite remarkable to win a fourth major conference title in a row. It just further proves that the culture of this program is second to none. I’m ecstatic for all of our players and their performance was worthy of a championship.”

Niedermeier earned Big Ten Tournament Defensive Most Valuable Player honors. Williamson joined Endoh and Niedermeier on the all-tournament team.

Maryland will find out its NCAA Tournament destiny when the bracket is announced at 1 p.m. Monday afternoon.