Origin Story – University of Maryland Athletics

Several years before the birth of the Maryland women’s soccer program, Bernadette Johnston first stepped foot on Maryland’s campus as a student. She loved soccer. She grew up playing the sport and was coached by her stepfather, Hans Orthner. However, she observed that Maryland had a men’s soccer team, not a women’s one.  

Bernadette, known as “Bernie” by her former teammates, wanted to continue playing soccer, so she and a few friends quickly gathered others to form a club team. They even found a coach for the team, as Bernie convinced Orthner to step up. The team found success early, playing against other varsity teams and beating them. According to former players, the club was highly competitive.

In 1985, the soccer team was still a club part of the intramural sports office. Because of how good they were for a club team, many varsity programs began refusing to play Maryland. A year passed, and the school finally gave the club varsity status so other schools could continue playing them. In 1987, the Terps joined the ACC, one of soccer’s most competitive conferences. 

“Every year, we got a little bit more,” Orthner said. “Finally, they let us play on the men’s field, which was a big thing. We weren’t allowed as a varsity team at all, so we became a club team. It took about five, six years until we finally became a varsity team without any support. Not even showers, nothing.”