The Soccer Club of Maine officially revealed the identity of its new women’s soccer team on Thursday, naming the franchise the Maine Wildness. The team will compete in the USL W League, a women’s pre-professional league, beginning with the 2027 season.
The name Maine Wildness draws inspiration from Henry David Thoreau’s 1854 work *Walden*, referencing a passage that emphasizes “the tonic of wildness.” The choice reflects the club’s efforts to engage the local community during a months-long naming process that included the input of hundreds of supporters. The club said the name embodies both the state’s natural character and the spirit of Maine’s women athletes.
Gabe Hoffman-Johnson, founder and chief community officer of the Soccer Club of Maine, explained that the name emerged from a collaborative process driven by community feedback. “We asked people across Maine what they wanted for this team, and we kept hearing the same response: a love for what we’ve created with Hearts, and a deep desire for something distinct to the women of Maine,” he said. “Wildness came from listening to that feedback, finding a name that captures the spirit intrinsic to both this place and the people who make it so special.”
The club already operates the Portland Hearts of Pine, a men’s team launched in 2023 that has quickly established a strong fanbase. The Wildness will maintain some connections to the Hearts of Pine while cultivating a unique identity. The team’s logo, designed by Portland artist Pame Chévez, incorporates natural symbols associated with Maine, including Mount Katahdin, rivers, lakes, wild lupine, thistle, fern, and the state flower, the sea rose. The crest also features the “Dirigo heart,” a nod to the Hearts of Pine logo, itself inspired by Maine’s Dirigo star and Portland’s Valentine’s Bandit tradition.
Community members identified the Dirigo heart and the motto “Lead with your heart” as important elements for the new team’s identity during the branding discussions. Hannah Sirois, the club’s vice president of fan experience, highlighted the significance of the announcement, saying the Maine Wildness offers an opportunity to “celebrate the strength of women across our state and create a community where everyone feels like they belong.”
Both the men’s team and the new women’s team will play home matches at Fitzpatrick Stadium in Portland. The stadium, which seats approximately 6,000 spectators, has regularly hosted sellout crowds for Hearts of Pine matches since the club’s debut in 2025, outdrawing the USL average of about 3,000 fans. The club has plans to build a new stadium on Portland’s southern tip with a capacity between 9,000 and 11,000, although a construction timeline has yet to be announced.
Earlier this year, the club offered 5,000 season ticket deposits for the new women’s team, which sold out in less than an hour, underscoring widespread enthusiasm for the Maine Wildness and the expanding soccer culture in the region.