After scoring her second goal of the season Monday, freshman Emily Maynard sprinted 60 yards across Ludwig Field to the sideline and gave an injured Kimmy Bunting a chest bump in excitement.

“When I scored in the Tennessee game, Bunting said that she thought I was going to run to her, but I slid down instead, so I told her, ‘When I score next, I’ll run to you,'” Maynard said.

It’s this type of gusto and passion for soccer that has made the youngster a star on the Terrapin women’s soccer team and earned her a spot on Soccer America’s Team of the Week after only playing in two collegiate games.

Just a handful of games into the season, Maynard has already developed a confident swagger. Scoring the game-winning goal in her debut as a Terp has given her plenty of self-assurance and even more respect amongst her teammates.

But without a terrible natural disaster last year, Maynard never would have scored that game-winner against Tennessee – and never would have been playing at Ludwig Field as a Terp.

During her junior year at The Latin School of Chicago, Maynard committed to play at Tulane. But as she prepared for her senior year of high school, Maynard was forced to reconsider her options after Hurricane Katrina temporarily wiped out many of Tulane’s sports programs.

The letters and sciences major ended up visiting this university in November, loving everything the school had to offer and making the decision to be a Terp one week later.

“I saw Emily play in Houston, and I liked what I saw, but at that time, she had already committed to Tulane,” coach Brian Pensky said. “I got a call from her club coach saying that she was looking for a school. I contacted Emily, and she was on campus a week later.

“There was no question that from a player standpoint and a personality standpoint, we wanted her aboard.”

Though diminutive in stature, the 5-foot-3-inch Maynard plays bigger than her size. She dashes up and down the field attempting to make a play on every ball, taking no shortcuts or breathers during play.

Already one of the team’s top dribblers, her crafty ball-handling skills can be attributed to watching and playing an abundance of soccer since she was four.

“Whether it was my [older] sister [Rebecca] or English teams, I’ve watched soccer ever since I touched a ball,” Maynard said.

Maynard is no ordinary spectator, however. When she’s not busy cheering on her favorite player (Cristiano Ronaldo) on her favorite team (Manchester United), Maynard watches European soccer with a critical eye, picking up on the nuances of the sport so she can mold her game after the world’s best.

She is anointed a “soccer junkie” by her coach, who notes that if someone showed up at one of the team’s training sessions, not knowing Maynard, they would think she was an upperclassman by the way that she leads the team.

“Emily is special in terms of her love for the game and her will to train and get better,” Pensky said. “I’d say we have five training sessions a week, and at least three or four of those she’s over by the shooting wall afterwards wanting to do extra stuff.”

So far Maynard has racked up a shared team-leading two goals with Melissa Hornfeck to go along with an assist, coming off the bench in each game except for the scoreless match against Towson, in which she played all 120 minutes of the action.

The freshman, always wearing a wide smile on her face, has flourished in her role as a substitute, but has also shown that she will be able to adapt to playing a full 90 minutes of regulation in the future.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re starting or coming off the bench,” Maynard said. “Playing soccer is playing soccer, and you get into the game and contribute any way you can.”

Right now, Maynard’s contributions are more than enough for Pensky and the Terps. Whether she’s scoring or dribbling, Pensky loves Maynard’s competitiveness and love for the game. Pensky is just glad this prized recruit fell into his lap.

As for Maynard, when asked if she ever regrets not being able to attend Tulane, the always self-assured freshman gave her trademark grin and responded, “I never have second thoughts.”

Contact reporter Mark Selig at mseligdbk@gmail.com.