Maria Della Torre helped lead the Wheaton women's soccer team to back-to-back Division III National Championships in 2006 and 2007, along with a third National Championship Game appearance in 2008. Maria was a four-time National Soccer Coaches Association (NSCAA) Division III All-Region selection in her career and also earned four All-CCIW awards from 2006-09. In 2007 she helped lead Wheaton to a 27-0-0 record, as the Thunder set a Division III record for wins in a season that still stands today.
A four-year starter, Della Torre anchored the Wheaton midfield during its three Championship Game appearances as a stalwart distributor and force for the Thunder. She played in 102 matches over her four seasons with 23 goals and 23 assists for 69 total points. She is on Wheaton's career top-20 list in total points, goals and assists as a well-rounded performer for the Thunder.
As a freshman in 2006, Maria established career-highs of eight goals and 10 assists in helping lead the Thunder to the first of their back-to-back Division III Championships. She assisted on Wheaton's game-winning goal in the team's 2-0 victory against The College of New Jersey in the 2006 Division III Championship Match. She also had an assist in the 2006 National Semifinal against Virginia Wesleyan. In the team's undefeated 2007 season, she contributed six goals and three assists. In 2008, she scored six goals with seven assists, starting every match for the Thunder as they advanced to the National Championship match for the third-consecutive year. She scored Wheaton's final goal in a 3-1 victory against Williams in the 2008 Division III National Semifinal. She tallied three goals and distributed three assists in her senior campaign in 2009.
Maria says of her four seasons at Wheaton, "Playing at Wheaton were some of the most incredible years of my soccer career, as the program not only had fantastic players, but also amazing teammates and coaches who love Jesus and all desired to pursue excellence as a program. Playing in three National Championships is something I will never forget, ultimately winning two National Titles and one Runner-Up. I think the most meaningful soccer memory was playing in an undefeated season and winning 48 games in a row between 2006-2008 and our 27-0 season in 2007. As a team, we were all very focused, very driven, and it was a lot of fun to win a lot of games! I loved playing in the midfield where you get to play box-to-box, being involved in a ton of action, and I was in a position to help create, distribute, and push our attack forward. I think winning games aside, I am most grateful for the lessons I learned that I carry with me today. The desire to work to the best of my abilities in all that I do, to persevere, to remain disciplined and composed even in chaos or difficulty, to serve others and to not shy away from adversity, are gifts that were instilled in me during my years as a Wheaton soccer player. Being on a team with women who love each other and who love the Lord, and who love to work hard, is something I will cherish forever."
Maria earned her bachelor's degree in Psychology from Wheaton in 2010. She is still heavily involved in soccer today, serving as the head girls' soccer coach at Wheaton Academy and is Girls Youth Director and a coach for Wheaton United Soccer Club. She and her husband Joseph live in Wayne, Illinois with their children: Isabella and Lina.
