As a freshman forward at Pittsburgh, Jarena Harmon thought the rest of the ACC didn’t believe the Panthers could compete during conference play. After joining the Maryland women’s soccer team at the end of June, Harmon believes Big Ten squads are viewing the Terps the same way.
Despite losing five of their first eight contests, coach Ray Leone’s team is eager to prove it can hang with its conference foes. That mission starts Friday night, when the Terps play No. 22 Rutgers in their Big Ten opener.
“Just knowing that every single coach and every single player looking at the game is like, ‘Maryland is going to be at the direct bottom,’ you just walk around with a chip on your shoulder,” Harmon said. “You get defensive about it. You have to earn your respect.”
Every time the Terps review tape, Harmon said the team’s growth is evident. They’re finishing shots. They’re making clean passes. In stretches, the back line has been effective.
But those developments have yet to translate into positive results. Maryland has allowed three first-half goals in each of its past two losses. The Terps scored three times after intermission against Navy on Sept. 7, but the early deficit was too steep to overcome in the 5-3 defeat.
So, as Maryland prepares to face a Scarlet Knights team that advanced to the final four last season, its focus remains on starting and finishing games with the same energy.
“We’re fighters,” forward Chelsea Jackson said. “It’s important that we realize that we can win and get results if we believe in each other and trust each other.”
Leone said the Terps’ success starts with their older players, who set the precedent about how everyone on the team has to act. Entering Big Ten play on a four-game losing streak, the first-year coach requested the veterans take the initiative during practice.
“[Everyone] has to stay committed and play the game,” Leone said. “If [the older players] are tough, the whole team behind them will be the same. It’s just another game, and the excitement will be there automatically.”
Harmon said some teams will overlook Maryland because of how the program performed in the past — something she experienced in Pittsburgh when the Panthers won two ACC games in 2014.
Last season, Pittsburgh responded by winning four of its 10 conference games and 10 games overall. If Big Ten teams take the Terps lightly, Harmon insists her new team will be ready to capitalize.
“You want to prove to everyone else that ‘I’m better than you think I am,'” Harmon said. “People look at what’s been done in the past and at every single mistake. We’re going to have our moments and we’re going to shine at some point. I don’t think anyone’s ready.”
