On separate occasions in each of Maryland women’s soccer’s first six contests, coach Ray Leone said freshmen defenders Niven Hegeman and Lauren Frank were indecisive.
They were hesitant and their tackles weren’t effective, so they were beaten by opposing players. Entering Wednesday’s game against Navy, the duo had combined to play in three games.
But against the Midshipmen, both first-year players saw more time on the pitch then they had up to this point in the season. The defensive unit struggled — the Terps gave up three goals in a half for the first time this year and allowed a season-high five scores in total — but Hegeman and Frank played valuable minutes that their peers believe will give them confidence going forward.
“They didn’t get a whole lot of minutes in the beginning of the season, but they played a key role tonight,” midfielder Kate Waters said. “They brought a spark and came up with big tackles when we needed them the most. This is a confidence booster for them.”
Frank and Hegeman entered Wednesday’s contest with 20 and 31 minutes of playing time, respectively. As they stood on the sideline, they cheered in an attempt to encourage Maryland’s defense. Against Navy, they did so on the field.
Hegeman made her first start of 2016 in the Terps’ 5-3 loss, and Frank, a three-time All-District player at Hebron High School in Texas, helped the Terps’ defense hold Navy to a pair of goals in the second half.
“We needed this, because they’re going into some games and some of our younger players have struggled because they haven’t played at this level,” Leone said. “I hope they’re growing in confidence. Maybe it was all a question mark for them because they haven’t done it like that.”
At halftime, Leone wanted his team to respond after allowing two goals within eight minutes in the opening period. With the help of Frank and Hegeman, who played 35 and 41 minutes, respectively, the Terps improved defensively.
“They were energetic and they created opportunities,” forward Chelsea Jackson said. “I think it will give them confidence. It gave us confidence. Moving forward, we need that again.”
For a Maryland backline that lost four starters to graduation last season, Hegeman and Frank provide the unit with more depth. This has allowed Leone to experiment with several different lineups in hopes of finding the ideal starting 11.
Leone called upon Hegeman and Frank on Wednesday, bringing some additional youth onto the field, and both players earned the praise of their teammates.
So as the Terps prepare to end a three-game skid Sunday against George Mason, the first-year coach could turn to the freshman pair more often.
“They inspired the team,” Leone said. “They came in and fought so hard that everyone was like ‘Let’s go.’ It takes one person to do that. That could trigger everyone.”
