La Plata, Md. –– The College of Southern Maryland women’s soccer team suffered an 8-1 defeat to New Rochelle on September 14, 2025, at CSM Soccer Field, with the visitors scoring seven goals in the first half to seize control early in the nonconference matchup.
New Rochelle, entering with a 2-0-1 record, struck quickly through Chloe Ribeiro’s penalty kick in the sixth minute, followed by Maiko Kikuchi’s unassisted tally in the eighth minute. Leni Fohrer netted the third goal in the ninth minute, assisted by Julia Migacz, before Wiktoria Mikrut added two more strikes in the 15th and 21st minutes, both assisted by Fohrer. Sara Dakdouka made it 6-0 in the 32nd minute off another Fohrer assist, and Mikrut completed her hat trick with an unassisted goal in the 38th minute. Southern Maryland responded late in the half with Abby May’s goal in the 34th minute, assisted by Amber Jones, but New Rochelle held a 7-1 lead at the break.
In the second half, Sakurako Hara scored the lone goal of the period in the 78th minute, assisted by Fohrer, who finished with four assists to anchor the Blue Angels’ attack. Southern Maryland, now 4-1, managed just four shots in the opening half but improved to 11 after halftime, with May leading the way with two shots on goal. Goalkeeper Kylie Smith recorded one save in 45 minutes before Raynna Ratchford entered for the second half, stopping nine shots in a total of 26 faced on frame.
New Rochelle dominated possession with 45 shots to Southern Maryland’s 15, including 19 on target to the Hawks’ one. The Blue Angels earned 10 corner kicks to five for the hosts, while fouls stood at 13 for New Rochelle and 12 for Southern Maryland. Two yellow cards were issued: one to Migacz of New Rochelle in the 32nd minute and one to Faith Wright of Southern Maryland in the 62nd minute.
The game, which started at 11 a.m. under clear skies before a modest crowd typical for early-season JUCO contests, highlighted New Rochelle’s offensive depth. Mikrut’s three goals marked her as the standout, supported by Fohrer’s playmaking and Ribeiro’s clinical finish from the spot. For Southern Maryland, the loss tempers a strong start to the season, where the Hawks had won four of their first five matches, including victories over Montgomery College and Hagerstown Community College.
Southern Maryland’s program, part of the NJCAA Division II Region 20, relies on a blend of local talent from high schools in Charles, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties, such as La Plata and Northern high schools, which feed players into the roster through open tryouts held each spring. The Hawks’ home field at the La Plata campus, a 1,200-seat synthetic turf venue completed in 2018, hosts most nonconference games and draws families from the tri-county area, where soccer’s popularity has grown with youth leagues like the Southern Maryland Soccer Alliance boasting over 5,000 participants across age groups.
This matchup against New Rochelle, a USCAA member from New Rochelle, New York, about 250 miles north, represents the kind of cross-association scheduling that tests Southern Maryland’s depth early. The Blue Angels, whose program traces to the College of New Rochelle’s founding in 1904 as a women’s Catholic institution, competed in the Hudson Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Conference until the college’s closure in 2019, after which athletics transitioned under Iona University’s Mercy College umbrella for some sports, though women’s soccer appears to persist in a club or exhibition format. Their 2-0-1 start suggests continuity in a program that once fielded varsity teams in 12 sports, emphasizing fundamentals in a smaller conference setting.
For the Hawks, Abby May’s goal provided a bright spot, her second of the season after scoring in a 3-2 win over Community College of Beaver County on September 7. The freshman midfielder from Waldorf, who plays club ball with the Southern Maryland United select team, embodies the local pipeline that coach Lindsey Heldreth, in her third year, has prioritized to build competitiveness. Heldreth’s staff focuses on technical drills during weekday practices at the La Plata field, incorporating video analysis from games streamed on the CSM Athletics YouTube channel, which averaged 150 views per match last season.
Region 20 play looms large for Southern Maryland, with the Hawks aiming to improve on their 2024 runner-up finish, where they fell 2-1 to Howard Community College in the championship. The conference, spanning Maryland’s community colleges from Anne Arundel to Hagerstown, awards an automatic bid to the NJCAA Division II national tournament in Peoria, Arizona, each November. Southern Maryland’s schedule includes key tests like the September 17 home game against Anne Arundel, a perennial powerhouse with three straight titles, and an October 3 road trip to Harford Community College, where the Hawks lost 4-1 last year.
Defensively, Southern Maryland allowed just three goals across their first four wins, thanks to a backline anchored by defender Faith Wright, who earned all-conference honorable mention in 2024 as a freshman. Wright’s yellow card came on a tactical foul to stop a counter, but her positioning limited New Rochelle to one second-half goal despite 20 shots after intermission. In goal, the rotation between Smith and Ratchford allows flexibility, with Smith posting a 0.75 goals-against average entering the match.
New Rochelle’s goalkeeper Magdalena Syrek earned the win with one save in 45 minutes, while Victoria Ferreira stopped all seven second-half shots on target for a shutout half. The Blue Angels’ 33 fouls reflect a physical style, common in USCAA play where games often feature end-to-end action on fields similar to CSM’s 120-by-80-yard dimensions.
Southern Maryland’s next outing comes September 17 against Anne Arundel at home, a chance to regroup before a stretch of three conference games in 10 days. The Hawks’ 2025 roster, with 24 players including 12 freshmen, benefits from CSM’s free tuition for in-county residents under the Southern Maryland Promise program, drawing athletes from communities like Hughesville and Prince Frederick who balance classes in nursing or cybersecurity with training.
As the season progresses toward the October 15 Region 20 tournament opener, Southern Maryland’s focus shifts to set-piece defending, where New Rochelle’s corners led to sustained pressure. With five home games remaining, including October 1 against Montgomery College — a 2-1 win for the Hawks last year — the team eyes a top-four seed for playoffs. Coach Heldreth’s pregame routines, held at the adjacent CSM Wellness Center, emphasize recovery with yoga sessions tailored for the rigors of a 18-game slate.
This lopsided result underscores the value of early nonconference tune-ups, preparing Southern Maryland for the parity of Region 20, where last year’s finalists combined for a 22-4-2 record. The Hawks’ lone goal against a high-volume offense signals resilience, setting the stage for adjustments in upcoming drills.
