GROVE CITY — Maggie Williams played outside backer with much success for the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the Elite Club National League.

The Mars graduate and girls soccer standout figured she was destined to play the same position at Grove City College.

Wolverines women's soccer coach Melissa Lamie figured differently.

“She was outside back with us for about a week in (preseason) camp,” Lamie said. “Once we saw her quickness and deft ball handling skills, we moved her up to forward.”

Good call.

Williams wound up tallying 13 goals, five assists and 31 points as a freshman last fall at Grove City. She finished second in the Presidents' Athletic Conference in goals and points.

The Wolverines wound up 17-4-1 overall, 8-1-1 in PAC play.

As a result of all that, Williams was recently named GCC's Female Athlete Rookie of the Year.

“I was speechless when I found out,” Williams said of the award. “You never expect something like that. There are so many excellent athletes here.”

Williams stood out regardless. She scored three goals in 15 minutes in a win over Thiel. She netted the game-winning goal against Chicago in an NCAA Division III Tournament game.

“I felt I could contribute to the team as a freshman,” Williams said. “Playing in the ECNL helped me prepare for soccer at the next level.

“When you play defense, you have time to think, time to process. Offensively, you get it and go. But the speed of play in the ECNL got me ready for the speed of play in the PAC.”

Williams scored 18 goals and added 11 assists in her senior year at Mars. Her final three collegiate choices were North Carolina State, Point Park, Richmond and Grove City.

She chose Grove City for the location, the campus and the school's academic program in marketing.

“I made an official visit and the team was so welcoming,” Williams said. “They wanted to get to know me as a person, not just a soccer player.

“I felt at home here right away.”

Lamie said the more she saw Williams practice and play, the less surprised she was by her results on the field.

“You rarely see a freshman make the kind of impact she did,” the coach said. “I was surprised when I first noticed how good she was, but the more I'd see her play, the less surprised I was. In fact, I began to expect the consistent production she gave us.

“Maggie was a nice bonus for us.”

Lamie described Williams as “long and thin, with the agility and speed to break past the defense.

“Even when an opponent has seen her play and recognizes her skills, plots to stop her ... It's still hard to contain her.”

Williams will not be available to the Wolverines in the fall. She tore her ACL and meniscus while playing intramural soccer in March.

Her surgery is scheduled for Wednesday and the rehabilitation will take six to eight months.

“I'm hoping to be back in December so I can go through all of the winter workouts,” Williams said.

In the meantime, she will red-shirt this season.

“Maggie will still be with us on the sidelines, helping the team in other ways next season,” Lamie said. “But we will definitely miss having her on the field.

“She is a dynamic playe a true difference-maker.”