There’s no place like home, just ask the five players from the Keene State College women’s soccer team, who chose to stay close to their neighborhoods when deciding where to go to college.
The five girls each have experience playing together before they came to KSC and all of them said that it makes them better players at the collegiate level.
Photo Illustration by Kyle Bailey
Shannon Hart, a freshman midfielder on the team, is from Swanzey, New Hampshire.
Hart said that originally, she was going to take a year off in order to participate in mission work overseas, but after being recommended to the Owls’ head coach by one of her high school teachers, she decided to stay and attend KSC.
“I wanted to come here because I’m a home-body. I just wanted to stay close to home,” Hart said.
Hart is one of nine siblings who have been students at KSC. Her brother Ryan is currently a senior lacrosse player for the Keene State Owls and her brother Ian graduated a few years ago.
“I feel very comfortable here. It’s just like at home,” Hart said.
Teammates Katie Silegy, Kali Santino and Shannon Summers all live in the City of Keene.
Santino, a rookie on the team, said that KSC was a fit for her both athletically and academically.
“Soccer had a big impact for me because I really liked the team and the coaches and it has a good education program and that’s what I’m here for, so it just fit me perfectly,” Santino said.
Silegy, the third freshman from Keene on the team this year said that the short distance between campus and her home was overshadowed by the benefits that KSC brought to the table.
“Even though Keene was really close, it had a lot of the things that I wanted in a college. The soccer team, obviously — the coaches, the team in general were just awesome. They have a good study away program, study abroad, which I really want to end up doing. Just everything,” Sigley said.
Danielle Warhall is a sophomore goalie on the squad. The Spofford native and Keene High School graduate noted the ability of her family to watch her play as a big reason why she enjoys playing for the Owls.
“I definitely thought about [the proximity] when I was deciding, but it was definitely a big draw for me that my mom and my parents can both come to all of my games and I can be close enough to home where if I need anything, I can go and it’s really different being on campus,” she said, “It’s not really like I’m not that close to home.”
Shannon Summers, the most-seasoned veteran of the five, is a junior.
She said she never really felt the urge to go far from home.
“I just — I loved Keene. I was never one of those people to be like, ‘Oh, I want to get out of here,’” Summers said.
No matter what their reason for staying close is, all five players said their prior experience playing one another has benefited their own play along with their team performance.
“I think [the experience] is really cool. We know how each other are used to playing, so when we do all get on the field together we have really good chemistry,” Warhall said.
Warhall continued, “So we know where each other are and stuff and we support each other. We look out for each other.”
Their close proximity to home is often the subject of a joke among the girls on the practice field. “Were basically like the townies” Summers said.
Jacob Barrett can be contacted at jbarrett@keene-equinox.com
