Ava Morales crossed the half line in the 23rd minute, taking a step before playing the ball up the middle. Landing at the feet of Kennedy Bell, she picked the ball up and pushed it forward with a large stride.

Bell reached the box and slid the ball into the far corner of the goal, notching Maryland women’s soccer’s first goal of the season and putting the Terps up one in the first half.

“It was a really good moment, just because the past two weeks trying to transition from outside back to winger — it’s not like it’s a completely different position — but just mentally, changing to be more cutthroat,” Bell said. “Getting that goal definitely made the transition a lot easier and felt like it was worth it. Just looking for more.”

It took six games for Maryland to earn its first win a season ago. The Terps came out strong in their opening game of 2024 on Thursday, claiming a 2-0 win over Lehigh at the Ulrich Sports Complex. They are now unbeaten in eight straight season openers.

Maryland was buoyed by Bell’s early goal and a dominant performance from goalkeeper Liz Beardsley. The senior recorded seven saves.

“Liz is a pro, I’ve said it since she came in here,” Coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer said. “To have her in goal and to have her leadership, I feel like it brings a calmness to the team.”

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Bell, a Big Ten All-Freshman selection last season, was a consistent starter in her first year with the Terps. The defender earned the third-most minutes on the team. Morales was Maryland’s leading goal scorer a season ago with three — she started her junior year off with an assist.

The Hawks (0-1) started with the ball, but Maryland (1-0) quickly flipped the switch and pushed aggressively into the attacking third. The Terps drove to the goal in the opening minutes of the match, reaching the box before being called for an offside.

The Terps earned the first corner of the game in the eighth minute but failed to convert. The Hawks pushed back, grabbing a corner minutes later. A high cross into a header by Lehigh’s Mia Tuckwood flew into the chest of Maryland goalie Liz Beardsley and the game remained a stalemate.

Lehigh took more first-half chances with six shot attempts to Maryland’s two, although both teams recorded two strikes on goal. The teams remained evenly paced with two corners and the Terps led 1-0.

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The visitors came out slower in the second, and Lehigh penetrated deeper into Maryland’s defensive third. A trip on defense gave Katie Coyle a yellow card and Lehigh a free kick. Beardsley hunkered down for the save and stopped any Lehigh momentum.

Coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer started three freshmen Emily Lenhard, Taryn Raibon, and Ellie Egeland on Thursday. The rest of the lineup was composed of sophomores or above.

The new and veteran talent meshed. Egeland tore up the left wing in the second half, at one point passing through five Lehigh defenders to sling the ball to Delaney DeMartino in the box. With a small pop to the left corner, DeMartino doubled the deficit and scored her first goal as a Terp.

“I was really proud that we had a lot of firsts as well tonight,” Nemzer said. “We had some freshmen that came up, did some really good things… and overall I was really happy about it.”

The Hawks increased the intensity in the final ten minutes, working for a shot at goal. Aminah Baruwa managed to get one to the low center, but Beardsley kept her shutout and kept the score the same.

The Terps’ home opener is on Sunday at Ludwig Field against Stony Brook. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.