Every year, college programs use the offseason to fill holes left by departed players. The most glaring holes are often those left in the attack, and today we’ll look at how the five best attacks from 2013 - with the litmus as goals scored - are shaping up for next season. Can Maryland replace one of the greatest of all time? Can Notre Dame replicate its title run without one of its top creators in recent memory? We’ll soon find out.
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Note that this only takes into account attacking players who left the program after last season and those who were already on the roster.
1. Maryland - 53 goals scored
Key losses: F Patrick Mullins, F/M Schillo Tshuma, F Sunny Jane
Key returners: M Tsubasa Endoh, M Michael Sauers
How does one replace one of the most prolific men’s college soccer players to ever lace up? That’s coach Sasho Cirovski’s unenviable task this fall now that two-time Hermann Trophy winner Patrick Mullins is an MLS employee. That speedy winger Schillo Tshuma went with him made the blow that much heavier. The easy answer is to defray the responsibility, but that won’t be easy with the loss of 34 goals from last season, or 64 percent of the team total. Midfielder Michael Sauers’ five from last year leads the line for returnees, though it’s clear whoever starts up top for Maryland this season will have some moon-sized shoes to fill and not much experience. There isn’t a returning forward on this roster who had more than a single goal last year.
