Maryland head coach Sasho Cirovski found himself in a bind when sophomore goalkeeper Andy Kirk decided to enter MLS’s Project-40 program this past winter, instead of finishing his collegiate career with the Terrapins. Cirovski had been aware of Kirk’s desire to eventually turn pro, but the timing of the announcement left him scrambling to recruit a replacement. By the time Kirk made his decision, all the top prospects had already committed to other schools, leaving Cirovski with a gaping hole to fill at the back. “When [Andy] left, it was a little late for us [to find a replacement],” Cirovski said. “We had a number of keepers that were interested in coming here, but they knew Andy was only a sophomore so that turned them away.” And to rub salt in the wound, it is a year where there are several quality keepers coming out of high school, including Soccer America Top 25 recruits — Bryheem Hancock, Kyle Singer and Michael Ueltschey, all of whom had experience with the U.S. U-17 national team. “All three were guys we looked at,” said Cirovski. “That’s one of the frustrations.” Although Cirovski says he has since found a keeper, who is close to the caliber of the aforementioned trio, the scenario brought home to him the repercussions Project-40 would have on college soccer and recruiting. “You have to work a little harder now,” Cirovski said. “I do a little more research, as to how much value players place on their education. If there’s little interest in getting an education, I advise them of their options.” It doesn’t mean Cirovski will lower his sights because he might lose top prospects to MLS after one season. “There’s no way that I will stop recruiting the best players in the country,” he said. “I’d still rather have a kid for a year, an elite player, than not have him at all.” But Cirovski does admit that Project-40 is a prime topic during talks with potential players. “With every top recruit, I went in talking about Project-40,” Cirovski said. “If they didn’t know about it, I explained it to them, in a very unbiased way, that it is an option that they will encounter.” Cirovski wants to makes sure that what happened this year with Kirk, won’t be repeated. “I’m trying to be very proactive,” he said. “In the future, we’re going to ask the players to make earlier decisions — in the early part of the season or at least by the mid-point of the season. “But I realize it’s an individual’s right to make a decision. [A player leaving early] is going to happen and you just have to live with it.” The crux of the issue for Cirovski is the timing. The earlier a coach knows he’s going to lose one of his players, the better chance he has to find an adequate replacement.