The freshman has been the Terps’ leading goalscorer in Big Ten play.
Maryland women’s soccer was down, 4-0, to then-No. 8 Penn State on a gloomy September night in Happy Valley. To make the best of a bad situation, head coach Michael Marchiano emptied his bench and made a slew of substitutions.
One was a young freshman: Mckinley Heaven, a local recruit from Rockville, Maryland, eager to make a name for herself in her third collegiate appearance. In the 59th minute, a Penn State defender tripped and awarded Heaven the ball. She quickly dribbled towards the open goal and took her shot: a shank wide right of goal. She was subbed out less than a minute later.
That was Heaven’s introduction to college soccer. But she’s come a long way from then already.
Heaven has been the Terps’ top goalscorer since that game, notching two goals in just four starts. She delivered the go-ahead scores in each of Maryland’s first back-to-back Big Ten wins since 2022, and has proven to be a vital piece on its greatly-improved frontline.
Heaven committed to Maryland in 2023, prior to Marchiano joining the program. But after former head coach Meghan Ryan Nemzer was ousted from the program, Marchaino was able to re-evaluate Heaven in 2024 and was more than impressed with her ability.
“When we were able to watch her play, watch her train, you knew that she was an attacking presence,” said Marchiano. “Mckinley has athletic tools that we felt would project quite well here.”
Heaven suffered an injury earlier this season during a team practice, the result of lingering foot fracture issues from a club season on the Annapolis Blues. This kept her off the field until the loss against Old Dominion in late August, where she logged a mere eight minutes. Despite struggles in the passing game and a botched open goal miss against Penn State, she showed flashes of top-tier speed and touch in nonconference play.
“Her behavior has certainly reflected that she has the toughness and the resilience to be really competitive at this level,” said Marchiano. “And I think we’re proud of her for the way that she’s adapted really early on here, we’re proud of her for the way that she keeps fighting.”
On a team desperate for an offensive spark, Heaven has been huge for the Terps, particularly in late game scenarios. And her teammates have more than welcomed her impact.
“She’s helped tremendously,” captain Ava Morales said. “She’s gotten two goals in her first two starts which is awesome, and I think she deserves every bit of it.”
Heaven earned her first start against Indiana, just a week after Maryland’s blowout loss to Penn State. And her impact was immediately felt.
Heaven launched a solid shot in the first half, missing the goal by mere inches. Then, tied up at 1-1 in the 87th minute looking to take a late lead, Heaven answered the call. She received the ball on a poor pass by the Indiana midfield unit, juked through defenders and slotted the ball inside the right post and into the net.
The bench erupted as players sprinted to swarm Heaven. In just one match, she achieved her first start and first goal — a match-decider.
“Honestly, [it’s] just an amazing feeling, very surreal,” Heaven said after the game. “And I’m just really glad that I could be here for my team when we needed it the most.
Heaven’s lone score would have been enough to carve out a stellar narrative. But she kept it going the very next match.
The freshman earned her second start of the season just three days later against Purdue. And just like the prior match, Heaven delivered when the Terps needed her the most. Once again even at 1-1, Emily Lenhard launched the ball deep into Purdue’s box, where Heaven finished things off with a one-touch netter off her right boot.
Later in the same match, Heaven butted heads with a Purdue defender midair. Both players collapsed to the turf as Heaven’s temple began to bleed badly enough it required stitches. She left the match, but returned to the starting lineup just four days later against USC.
That resilience was not ignored by her coaches.
“The game against Purdue, where she gets a head injury, and her head splits open after going into a really aggressive duel with bravery. And she gets stitches put in her head, and she’s back at it,” said Marchinano. “I’m not surprised, and that’s a trait that we want in our program and in our team moving forward.”
Heaven has become a mainstay in the Maryland lineup as of late, starting each of the last four matches. Her rise already serves as a highlight of the season, as she looks to become a star in the team’s new era.
“I have hope, and I have belief that she can be an important part of us elevating this program,” said Marchiano. “For us to have a local player like that hopefully leading our line, my hope is that she can be a really important player moving forward and then score a lot of goals in the Maryland jersey.”
Category: General Sports
