COLLEGE PARK, MD -- The Terps scored first for the first time this season and then added two more as Coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer earned her first win as the Maryland women's soccer head coach, defeating George Mason 3-0. 

Alina Stahl continued her season-long dominance, recording her third goal of the season. Stahl scored or assisted on the first five goals of Maryland's season. 

Catherine DeRosa also had a big game, making the assist on the first two Terp goals for the first two assists of her career. Senior Sofi Vinas, an Oregon transfer, scored the second goal of the day, the first of her career, and also added an assist. 

Madeline Smith recorded her first shutout at Maryland, making one save on the day. 

The Terps are still yet to lose this season. After beginning the season with four consecutive 1-1 ties, they are now 1-0-4. 

Coach's Take

"This is where I want to be, this was my dream job. I feel like to get the monkey off the back and to get the win going, more importantly (it's) a win for the team. There was a lot of firsts. There was a first shutout, there was (Poarch's) first goal back from injury, Sofi's first goal. It was a great day to celebrate for Maryland soccer."

Player's Perspective 

"I think we're building a lot of momentum going into the Wake Forest game and that breeds confidence," Vinas said. "This game is a reflection of the work that we put in at practice. We're working on our set pieces, we're working on our chemistry in the final third, and I think this game is a real reflection of that."

"I think Meg's first win has been coming for a while," DeRosa added. "It's very exciting to finally get it and now we're just excited to build off that." 

Breaking Down The Action

• Maryland kept the pressure on early and earned two quick corners, one of which was a perfectly placed ball by Juliana Lynch that Christa Waterman headed just high of the net. 
• The Terps struck first in the 14th minute of action as Stahl darted past the George Mason defense and snuck a shot into the bottom right of the goal. DeRosa recorded the assist on the play. 
• Maryland continued to dominate possession for the remainder of the half and ultimately added a second goal off DeRosa's penalty corner pass to Vinas. 
• The second half was more of the same for the Terps, consistently keeping the ball in the attacking end and posting 11 shots in the half. Maryland finished with 17 total shots, nine of which were on goal. 
• Alyssa Poarch added a late goal with just under two minutes left off an assist from Vinas. The goal was her first of the season and her first overall since Aug. 22, 2021. Poarch played just four games last season before going down with a season-ending injury. 
• "I think I shed a tear when she scored," Nemzer said of Poarch's goal. "She is a remarkable human being and obviously she's an amazing soccer player. To be honest with you, I didn't think I was going to get her until closer to the Big Ten. For me, these are bonus games, these are bonus minutes of her getting her groove. She loves this program so much, she's been through a lot to be here for her sixth year." 

Major Milestones

• Nemzer, who had not been a head coach prior to being hired by Maryland in December, recorded her first career head coaching win. 
• After not registering an assist through the first 33 games of her career, DeRosa assisted on two of Maryland's goals. 
• Vinas scored her first career goal, heading the ball past goalkeeper Selamawit Caldart off a penalty corner. 
• After recording three during a season at Omaha, Smith recorded her first complete-game shutout as Terp. 
• Freshman Tahirah Turnage, an Alexandria, Virginia native, made her collegiate debut when she checked in during the 13th minute. She played for 57 minutes. 

Notable Numbers

• 0: The number of losses the Terps have suffered through five games.
• 1: The number of wins Nemzer now has as a head coach after today's big win. 
• 1: The number of shots on goal the stingy Maryland defense held the Patriots to.
• 3: The Terps three goals today were their most of the season and the most since they beat George Washington 3-1 on Sept. 2, 2021. 
• 8: The number of points Stahl has all season (three goals and two assists), which is tied for first in the Big Ten. 
• 9: The number of corners the Terps earned, tying a season-high. George Mason had zero.

Up Next

• The Terps will play their third match of a six-game homestand on Thursday when they host Wake Forest at Ludwig Field at 7 pm.