The Maryland men's soccer team is losing a key piece of its roster as sophomore goalkeeper Zack Steffen has announced he will forgo his final two seasons of eligibility to sign with SC Freiburg, a club in Germany's top division.
Steffen played every minute in net for the Terps over the past two seasons and is regarded as one of the country's top prospects. He posted a goals-against average of 0.84 this season, improving on his freshman mark of 1.14.
"My time at Maryland has been nothing short of spectacular," Steffen said in a statement released by the school. "I want to thank my coaches and my teammates for an amazing two years in College Park. While at Maryland, I've had a chance to develop both on the field and off and I am excited to take the next step in my soccer career. I'd also like to thank the fans – the best in all of college soccer – for their incredible support."
Coach Sasho Cirovski said the following in a statement: “This is a tremendous opportunity for Zack and we could not be more proud of him. Zack is going to have a long and prosperous soccer career and we feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to help Zack in his growth both as a player and as a person. On behalf of all of Terp Nation, we wish Zack nothing but the absolute best."
SC Freiburg currently sits 16th out of 18 teams in the Bundesliga standings.