By Max Rosen and Stefan Duncan
Before this season, Marist women’s soccer brought in several veteran transfer players to help complement head coach Nicole Pacapelli’s young core of recruits. One of those players is graduate student midfielder Maille McDermott.
McDermott moved to Marist after spending the first four years of her collegiate career with a struggling program at Seton Hall. She viewed Marist as a good place to round out a successful playing career.
“I feel like Marist was the right fit, it gave me the vibe and the team I was looking for especially with this being my final year of play,” said McDermott.
McDermott is no stranger to competition and leadership. Before her time at Seton Hall, she had a successful senior season at Nashua High School South in New Hampshire, tallying 19 goals and leading her team on their deepest state tournament run in school history.
After not scoring during her career at Seton Hall, McDermott flipped a switch. In the first game of the season–on the road against her former Seton Hall team–she delivered Marist’s only goal, a beautiful header off a corner from freshman forward Gabby Tirado.
Serving as a captain during her senior season with the Seton Hall Pirates, McDermott capitalized on the opportunity to play against her former squad.
“I think it was a good final farewell to Owen T. Carroll Field, the moment was honestly just surreal for me,” said McDermott.
Entering this season, Marist women’s soccer head coach Nicole Pacapelli focused on adding veteran leadership to her young roster via the transfer portal. McDermott fits the mold perfectly as a four-year veteran and a former captain at Seton Hall.
“We knew we had a young class, a young true freshman class, and a lot of them, so I knew that I was looking for a couple of graduate kids to come in and lead right away, both on and off the field,” said Pacapelli.
Through the team’s first six games, McDermott paced the team with three goals, key in helping the offense stay afloat.
This year’s team includes 13 freshmen and two sophomores, with almost half of the roster being underclassmen. That results in plenty of teaching experiences for McDermott, with many young players to take under her wing.
“She [McDermott] carries herself very intelligently, I would say. She plays like a veteran and has been a guiding factor in how we approach leadership in our program,” said Pacapelli.
In addition to her on-field impact, McDermott is part of the team’s leadership council, a “secondary tier of leadership” described by Pacapelli. This council is used to aid the team in any way they need.
“She is a connector. Her personality is very warm and welcoming. She is also very good at holding people accountable,” said Pacapelli.
McDermott has been a good piece to an already improved roster. She started her career on the defensive side of the field playing center back. She has been moved and has evolved her skill set to the offensive, playing in the midfield/forward position.
Since McDermott has switched to this position she has created an even bigger role for herself as a focal point in the Marist offense.
“It has been nice to have her as more of an upfield type of player, seeing her control the field has been a great asset for us,” said Pacapelli.
Despite it feeling like the beginning of McDermott’s time at Marist, her inaugural season at Marist will also be her last in her collegiate soccer career, bringing mixed emotions for McDermott.
“I don’t have any more years of eligibility, sadly, but I personally don’t think my 22-year-old body can handle another season,” said McDermott. “But my main goal for this season was that it was going to be my last one,”.
An important key for McDermott going into her final year was to have fun. Throughout her adolescence, one of McDermott’s main goals was to become a Division I soccer player.
“I just want to have fun and enjoy the sport I grew up playing and loving. This is my final season. Soccer no longer has to be a job but it can be just soccer, which is something I haven’t considered it to be in years,” said McDermott.
McDermott has had a great start to her farewell season, averaging 88 minutes per game along with her offensive contributions. She is an asset on the field and looks to continue helping her young teammates grow as she finishes her collegiate career.
Edited by Max Rosen and Dan Aulbach
Graphic: Kira Crutcher
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X and TikTok, and sign up to receive daily alerts here.