COLLEGE PARK, MD - The Maryland Terrapins pushed their unbeaten streak in season openers to nine consecutive seasons with a dominating 3-0 win over Lehigh at Ludwig Field on Thursday night.
An offensive breakout from Ava Morales (two goals) earned head coach Michael Marchiano a win as head coach of the Terrapins, as Maryland earned its largest margin of victory in a season opener since 2021.
Redshirt sophomore Faith Luckey made her first collegiate start and was stellar in net, facing five shots and recording three saves as she picked up her first win and shutout.
Redshirt junior Kelsey Smith scored unassisted in the 20th minute, cutting across the middle and weaving through defenders to net her first goal of the season. One of Maryland's 2025 captains put the Terps on the board for the first time of the season.
Two minutes later, some corner kick chaos proved fruitful as Morales scored on a low shot. Both
Alyssa Abramson and
Ella Bulava knotted assists on the goal, their firsts of the year.
Morales cranked a shot from outside the 18-yard box in the 42nd minute for her second goal of the night and the season. Her two-goal first half led Maryland to a 3-0 lead that the Terps took into the half.
Marchiano's Message:
- "Obviously, the result is very favorable and one that we enjoy, so we have to be happy about that. You never know what to expect in the first game and I think overall there's enough positives for us to feel good about."
- "It's a good place to start. It always feels good to win, but we want to make sure we feel this again and again and again."
- On Smith: "Kelsey is so unpredictable in her one-on-one duels. She's so agile. She gave them fits tonight and we want to see more of that."
- On Morales: "She's been working on her finishing from distance a little bit and it's good to see tonight that she got a couple of goals."
Morales' Career Night:
- On the win: "I think this is huge. I think this should give us a ton of confidence. I think this is a great starting point and I feel like we can only go up from here."
- On Smith: "Me and Kelsey have been playing together since we were like eight years old. The two of us both scoring tonight on our last home opener definitely means a lot to both of us."
- On Luckey: "Faith is amazing. I've been waiting for her to get her opportunity on the field. She took every chance she got. She's been super strong in our goal and she's definitely a leader on this team."
How it Happened
- Gemma Davitian recorded Maryland's first shot of the season in the fifth minute.
- Maryland's Morales recorded the first corner kick for either squad in the 10th minute.
- Smith netted Maryland's first goal of the season in the 20th minute.
- Morales put Maryland ahead 2-0 in the 22nd minute
- Morales scored again in the 42nd minute to record her second multi-goal game of her career (2022 against Purdue).
Returning Success
- Smith, a 2025 captain, scored her first goal of the season and the third of her career.
- Morales, another 2025 captain, scored her first two goals of the season and her sixth and seventh of her career.
Newcomers Making A Mark
- Luckey saw her first collegiate action in goal on Thursday. She made three saves in the win.
- Abramson, a transfer from Kentucky, recorded her first assist as a Terp on Morales' first goal.
- Sam Winer subbed in late to record her first minutes as a Terp.
- Davitian made her first start and recorded her first minutes as a Terp.
Season Opener Success
- The Terps are unbeaten in their last nine season openers.
- Maryland is 22-4-5 in its season openers since 1995.
- Maryland has 23 shutouts in season-opener games, registering three in the last four years.
- Maryland is a perfect 3-0 all time against Lehigh, including three shutouts
- The Terps have blanked Lehigh in back-to-back season openers
Starting the Athletic Season
- Thursday's match marked the first athletic event of the 2025-26 athletic season.
- New athletic director Jim Smith was in attendance to wish Marchiano luck as the Terps got their season started.
Numbers To Know
- 1: Maryland only scored three goals in the first half once in 2024 in a 4-0 win over VCU on Sept 8.
- 4: Maryland has posted a shutout in tfour of its last five season openers.
- 9: The Terps are unbeaten in their last nine season openers.
- 16: The Terps put up 16 shots and 10 shots on goal in the win.
- 19: The Terrapins utilized 19 different players in the win.
- 23: The shutout was Maryland's 23rd in a season opener.
Up Next
- The Terps stay in College Park for their next match at Ludwig Field on Aug. 17, when they play Saint Francis. The match starts at 5 PM and will air on B1G+.
