Philadelphia Union to scrimmage University of Maryland on March 12

For the second straight year, the University of Maryland will be visiting Talen Energy Stadium for a closed door scrimmage against the Philadelphia Union.

The match will be played at 10 a.m. on March 12, the morning after the Union’s home opener against Toronto FC.

It’s one of five spring exhibition matches on the Terps’ schedule, which opened on March 1 at Clemson and also includes trips to Chapel Hill to play North Carolina and road games at Hartford and D.C. United.

Maryland has two former Philadelphia Union Academy players on the team in forward Sebastian Elney and goalkeeper Justin Bajek (Middletown, Del.).

The Union won the match last year 5-0 in a downpour. The Terps went on to have an undefeated season but were upset by Providence in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

From that team, senior center back Alex Crognale has been signed to a homegrown deal with Columbus Crew and defender Chris Odoi-Atsem signed with D.C. United after being selected 12th overall in the MLS SuperDraft. Star forward Gordon Wild was offered a Generation adidas contract but opted to return to College Park.

Interestingly enough, both teams that played in the 2013 College Cup final in Chester will be in town the same week. Notre Dame, which beat Maryland in that game to win the program’s first title, will play Bethlehem Steel FC in a friendly at the Power Training Complex on March 16, at 2 p.m.