The GW women’s soccer team opened the fall sports season with a frustrating 2-0 loss at home Sunday against a local soccer powerhouse, Maryland.

GW soccer’s home, South Riding Field, offered muddy conditions after several days of rain last week, as the Colonial women seemed stuck in their defensive end by the dominating Maryland offense.

Maryland opened the scoring in the 29th minute as senior defender Emily Janss avoided GW’s sophomore goalkeeper, Shannon Ashfield, to net the Lady Terrapins first goal of the season.

“We would have liked to open the season with a win,” GW second-year head coach Michele Rodriguez-Smith said. “But the freshmen played like veterans and we fought hard for all 90 minutes.”

The Colonial women nearly tied the score in the second half when senior midfielder Katy McQuillin chipped a free kick from 30 yards away that deflected off the crossbar of the Maryland goal. Several minutes of a GW offensive attack ensued, but the Colonial women managed no goals and only two shots on the day.

During a GW rush, the Maryland defense was able to clear away nearly every ball on its side, setting up teammates on offense with well placed passes up the field.

In the 75th minute, the Lady Terrapins scored their second goal to seal the victory. Freshman Kim King set up her shot off a string of passes and struck the ball into the right corner of the goal past the diving Ashfield.

“We can only get better,” Rodriguez-Smith said.

The Colonial women continue their season with games at Georgetown Sept. 1 and in the University of California Tournament against San Diego State University and the College of William & Mary, Sept. 4 and 5.

First-year Maryland head coach Shannon Higgins-Cirovski began her tenure with a win. Higgins-Cirovski is also GW’s all-time winningest coach, amassing a 69-59-11 record over seven seasons (1991-’97) in Foggy Bottom.

Before the women’s game, the men’s soccer team defeated an alumni team 2-1.