Maryland women’s soccer had a rough 2024 season, to say the least. With a 4-10-5 record, one conference win and a leadership shift from former coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer, the team needed a fresh start.
Coming into the 2025 season, Michael Marchiano knew the challenges he’d face transitioning from an interim position to permanent head coach. There was plenty of work to be done on and off the field.
Marchiano said there was not much rebuilding done to the roster, after losing players to graduation and the transfer portal at the end of last season. But by using a long-term strategy, he hopes to find success for many seasons ahead.
Marchiano, a self-proclaimed “Maryland guy,” is no stranger to the Terps’ pitch. As a former Maryland men’s soccer player and a two-time national champion, his love for the school and knowledge of the game runs deep.
“Maryland’s an unbelievable place,” Marchiano told The Diamondback. “We’re ready to do the work, and we’re confident that over the course of the next few years, we’ll try to make progress here so that Maryland can be a really competitive program in the national landscape of women’s soccer.”
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The team anxiously awaited the opportunity to prove itself this season, despite being ranked last by coaches across the Big Ten conferenceearlier this month.
When asked what she’s liked about Marchiano’s coaching so far, forward Kelsey Smith simply replied, “Everything.”
“We all love Coach Mike, not just as a person, but also as a coach,” said Smith, a redshirt junior who was named a 2025 Big Ten player to watch. “He has done a really good job to make it clear on what our goal is this season.”
The Terps hosted Lehigh in their season-opener Aug. 14, earning success in a 3-0 shutout. Smith, whose three goals through two games already marks a career high, helped the Terps score the most goals in a season-opener since 2021. Smith’s fellow team captain and midfielder, Ava Morales, scored an additional two goals against Lehigh.
“This should give us a ton of confidence, both me personally and as a team; I think this is a great starting point and I feel like we can only go up from here,” Morales said.
Aside from the team captains leading the way, the Terps’ chemistry is reflective of long-lasting relationships through wins and the many losses of last season. Morales noted she and Smith have played together since they were 8 years old.
Maryland’s cohesion was apparent everywhere on the field — from offense to defense to the multiple saves by goalkeeper Faith Luckey in her first collegiate appearance.
In a quick turnaround, the Terps won against Saint Francis, 5-0. The win marks the first season since 2021 that the Terps have started 2-0. They also scored the most goals in a game since 2019.
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“We have a lot to work on,” Smith said. “We’re 2-0, which is a great start, but that’s now in the past and we have to look into the future.”
Maryland will not face a Big Ten team until it plays Penn State (0-1) on Sept. 11. The Terps have lost to the Nittany Lions in every contest since 2005 — they most recently fell 5-0 last season.
“We’re super excited, but we have a lot to prove still,” Smith said.
Marchiano aided the team in a 2-0 conference win against Nebraska last October. As Maryland approaches more difficult opponents in Big Ten play, he’s optimistic the connection between his players can keep the team together through difficult moments.
“We have the context of knowing that Big Ten women’s soccer is arguably the best conference in the country, so you have to look at every single possible way that you can find victory,” Marchiano said.
The overarching goals for the season can be described in three ways, he said: A group that’s together, a group that enjoys what they’re doing and a team that makes progress as a program.
“I’m realistic with where Maryland women’s soccer is, and I’m not going to hide from that,” Marchiano said. “We want our young women to have a positive student-athlete experience coming through this … It’s not strictly about results.”
