COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Defender Kayla Shea broke her foot midway through her freshman season; midfielder Sarah Molina hurt her ankle early in her colligate career. But thanks to different defensive formations and the graduation of some of last season's seniors, the friends are back on the Terrapins' starting lineup, using what they learned during their seasons watching to improve the team's defensive unit.

“I learned what to do and what not to do in each position … now it's just a matter of putting it into practice,” said Shea, a junior from Shrewsbury Mass.

Shea and Molina, a junior from Rocky River, Ohio, both excelled in the sport, starting out in youth recreational leagues and graduating to regional and Olympic Development Programs. Shea has always played defense while Molina alternated between center back and holding central midfield, her position for the Terps.

While they learned a lot from watching the older players their first two years, practicing but not competing could be frustrating, they said.

“Everyone who comes here was the best on their club team or high school team,” Molina said. “You come to college and there are people better than you. You have to earn your spot.”

Both players credit their older teammates for pushing them at practice and keeping them motivated. Now, they do the same for their younger teammates as they train and grow as players.

“When I was younger I didn't quite understand why I wasn't playing,” Molina said. “Now I'm more mature, I've grown a lot and gotten a lot better.”

This season, both Shea and Molina play vital roles in the Terps' defensive third, in part because of changes the team has made to their lineup and shape on the field.

Last year, the team primarily played with two forwards, four midfielders and four defenders, a structure that allowed the players to double up on the other team's attacking forwards and pressure the opponent's net.

This year, they've also played a three-man defense at times that puts more players into the midfield to intercept the ball early and reroute it back to their own forwards.

The style of defense they play depends the opposition's offense and what works best for their team, Shea said. Sometimes they even switch mid-game.

Shea usually plays center back next to junior Erika Nelson in the four-back defense. She's been a defender since sixth grade.

“I like the thrill of stopping people,” she said. “It's not very glorious, but I like being that back line under the radar.”

Molina plays holding central midfield directly above the defensive line and takes headers for the team on free kicks. In the beginning, she said she struggled with recovering from mistakes, resulting in a “hot and cold” playing style.

“I would be really hard on myself,” she said. “Now when I make a mistake I have a short term memory and focus on playing even harder.”

Their strong bond on and off the field – they've been roommates since freshman year – helps them stay in sync during games.

“We're very comfortable,” Shea said.

“She can yell and me and I don't care,” Molina added.

When they're not working together to defend the net, Shea loves watching sports of all kinds and Molina likes to read or watch movies – most likely while wearing her signature animal t-shirts and crazy socks.

They're both happy to be where they are now, but don't regret the path they took to get on the field.

“You want to work for your teammates,” Shea said. “You just keep knowing your hard work will pay off.”

Catherine Sheffo, a junior journalism major at the University of Maryland, is a contributing writer to umterps.com.