Leon Koehl was arguably Maryland men’s soccer’s most important player in 2024. The midfielder led the team in goals despite missing four matches.

His absence, albeit brief, was obvious.

The Terps were unbeaten through their first six conference matches before Koehl suffered an injury in late October. Without him, the offense stalled, the back line looked fragile and Maryland lost its last three Big Ten regular-season contests.

Koehl was briefly sidelined to open the new campaign, but the Terps have thrived on both ends since he returned to the starting lineup three matches ago. Maryland has outscored opponents 13-1 since.

“With his movement and the way he reads the game and plays the game, he makes the other midfielders [and] other players on the field better,” fellow midfielder Albi Ndrenika said.

Koehl’s game is based on versatility. He makes occasional forward runs, drops into the backline when defenders push up the field and can transition the Terps from defense to offense with a single pass.

[Maryland men’s soccer beats Wisconsin 3-1 in Big Ten opener]

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound midfielder’s diverse skillset was imperative to Maryland’s 3-1 win over Wisconsin on Friday.

The Badgers came within inches of scoring a go-ahead goal in the 23rd minute, before the Terps frantically cleared the ball away. Possession soon fell to Koehl, who had his back turned to midfield when he received the ball in Maryland’s defensive half.

But in a moment emblematic of the midfielder’s instincts, Koehl swiftly turned and delivered a pass to forward Sadam Masereka as he sprinted down the left channel.

Koehl’s outlet left Masereka with just one defender to beat. The senior forward drew a foul inside the 18-yard box and Koehl buried the ensuing penalty.

“You still suck,” chanted some Badgers fans in the bleachers.

It was the junior’s first goal of the season after scoring seven in his First Team All-Big Ten campaign a year ago — all in penalty kicks.

Koehl has missed only one of his nine career attempts, a consistent output that’s made him Maryland’s primary penalty taker. But the Terps could have lost their spot-kick savant over the offseason.

[Corner kicks are fueling Maryland men’s soccer’s strong start]

Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City selected Koehl in the third round of the 2025 MLS SuperDraft. That pick made him ineligible to be taken by another MLS team in future drafts, yet Koehl said his decision to return to College Park was fairly quick.

The German midfielder was injured ahead of Sporting KC’s preseason. His playing time likely would have been sparse had he joined the MLS side for 2025. Koehl, a student at this university’s business school, also said he wanted to complete his degree.

The multifaceted midfielder said he remains in “good touch” with Sporting KC, which maintains his signing rights post-college.

“The team captain texted me immediately [after getting drafted], because he’s also German, and congratulated me,” Koehl said. “My goal is to play a good fall, and then I go on preseason with [Sporting KC] next January.”

Perhaps the most prominent reason for Koehl’s return was his desire to win as a Terp.

Before the season started, he said he was determined to earn a ring to make up for last year’s shortcomings. The junior didn’t specify what type of ring; it could be a Big Ten title or NCAA tournament championship. He presumably wants both.

Koehl’s unique skillset is tough to replace. He’ll need to stay healthy for Maryland to have a chance at hanging any type of banner in 2025.