In four years as mostly a reserve midfielder at Maryland, Nikki Sliwak scored seven goals. In the first four games of her fifth-year season at Towson, she’s already scored eight.

Sliwak is a key part of the reason why the Tigers are 4-0, already with an upset win over a top-10 team under their belts. They’re off to the program’s best start in five years and have eyes locked on challenging for the program’s first CAA title since 2016.

“We have just been taking our time gelling, and we’re starting to learn each other, learn each other’s strengths and play to that,” Sliwak said. “We’re just really working as a team right now.”

One of the top-ranked Long Island recruits out of high school, Sliwak made 18 appearances off the bench for the Terrapins as a freshman and sophomore and was part of title-winning teams in 2017 and 2019. Her playing time grew more sporadic as her career in College Park went on, but the years of practicing and learning alongside Tewaaraton finalists and winners prepared her to take a different, new step.

After the pandemic hit and canceled last season, she started looking for fifth-year opportunities, and in Towson she found a perfect fit. She’d grown up in Wantagh, N.Y., around the block from Olivia Conti, an All-American defender who starred for the Tigers from 2017-20, and knew Brooke Griffin, a former Terrapin who’d coached at Towson in 2018.

“I heard so many great things about all the coaches and the staff,” Sliwak said. “And I knew that Towson was a great team, so I just wanted to come here and be a part of the program.”

The transition from one part of the state to another has been nearly seamless. She had a team-high four goals in the Tigers’ 13-7 upset win over then-No. 8 Loyola on Feb. 24 and then dished out four assists in an 18-4 takedown of George Mason on Feb. 28.

Sliwak is playing a new position lower and closer to the crease at Towson — “goes to show that you can never stop learning, no matter how high of a level you are at,” she says — and credits assistant Mike LaMonica with helping her fit into the Tigers’ offensive system. It seems to be working so far. Towson has steadily increased its scoring output each game, from 10 goals in its opener to nearly 20 last Sunday.

“The prospect of her joining our program, it seemed like a no-brainer for me after having just one good conversation with her,” head coach Sonia LaMonica said.“It’s been wonderful to have her as a part of our group this year and also to see her having such great success.”

The Tigers’ roster talent stretches beyond one impact graduate transfer. Freshman midfielder Lindsey Marshall has scored a hat trick in three of Towson’s four games and earned CAA Rookie of the Week for her six-point, 10-draw performance against the Patriots.

All-American fifth-year Sami Chenoweth and Boston College transfer Olivia Malamphy are powering the Tigers’ defensive backline, combining for 15 caused turnovers and 17 ground balls so far.

“They’re very motivated to get out and have success, and they are now starting to understand how great this team is and what they’re capable of,” LaMonica said. “We’ve got to find that good balance of confidence and staying grounded.”

Towson’s next test will likely prove to be one of its biggest of the season. The Tigers line up against No. 7 Stony Brook on Sunday, searching for their first win over the Seawolves in program history. The teams have faced off in each of the last three seasons, but Stony Brook and its high-flying offense came out victorious each time.

There’s plenty of familiarity between the two programs, and even as a newcomer, Sliwak is plenty aware of the challenges Towson’s next opponent will bring — Maryland had to face the Seawolves in both its 2017 and 2019 NCAA tournament runs. She thinks the Tigers are up for it.

“Those four games, they were great wins, but they’re in the past,” she said. “We want to put our best versions of ourselves out on the field, play our game and our strengths, and let the rest take care of itself.”