Rachelle Beanlands

The Terrapins women’s soccer team started its season ranked No. 13, but since then it’s been a downward tumble. The Terps fell to No. 17 after a few early stumbles, and they were eventually knocked out of the top 25 all together.

For nearly a month, the Terps have had to play without that coveted number next to their name. When they stepped onto the field against the likes of No. 4 Duke, then-No. 6 North Carolina and No. 15 Wake Forest, they did so as just another unranked opponent.

But in all of those games, the Terps showed they deserved to stand among the nation’s best, defeating the Tar Heels, tying Duke and besting the Demon Deacons in a span of 10 days.

Now, after three weeks of clawing their way back into the national polls, the Terps have a number next to their name again. When they host No. 7 Virginia tonight, they’ll do so as the No. 18 team in the country.

“We’re really happy to be on that list,” coach Jonathan Morgan said. “Any time you fall in the top 25 in the country, it’s an important measurement to see how you’re doing and it’s very important for recruiting.”

They can’t stop battling now, though. The Terps are alone atop the ACC standings with 10 points, but the Cavaliers’ seven points are close behind in second.

And now that they’re back in the national spotlight, there’s pressure for them to stay there.

“Obviously it’s going to add to the atmosphere and the intensity of the match, but we’re not going to put a ton of stock into the rankings,” Morgan said. “There are a lot more games to be played.”

The first of those games will come against a Virginia team that, while ranked in the top 10, hasn’t faced the level of competition the Terps (7-2-2, 3-0-1 ACC) have. The Cavaliers (9-1-1, 2-0-1) have only faced two ranked teams so far this season — a 3-1 loss to No. 8 Penn State and a 2-2 tie with North Carolina.

“Virginia is Virginia,” Morgan said. “They are a very talented team, a very skillful team. People watch Virginia and say it’s very pretty soccer. They have a reputation that’s national. But we’ve done our scouting report and our walk-through and we’re in a good place right now. We are prepared for this.”

They’ll have to be. The Cavaliers are the second top-10 team the Terps will have faced in the past week. And while they tied Duke, 2-2, in double overtime a week ago, the Terps will need to beat Virginia if they want to keep their ACC lead.

And, of course, improve that little number they finally have next to their name again.

“Virginia’s a huge opponent for us,” goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands said. “We’re really focused. We’re just adjusting how we’re going to play so we can break them down and shut them out. We need to play our best against our ranked opponents.”

egan@umdbk.com