First-year women’s soccer player, Emily O’Connell was named LEC rookie of the week following a match against UMass Dartmouth where she scored her first career goal, the match ended 3-0 Owls, her goal was the only one the team needed. She also had an assist during a match against Castleton.
O’Connell came to Keene having already been a 3 year Varsity soccer player in high school. “Right now I have the most assists, but also I just want to be like a playmaker. I want to create chances for our team to score,” O’Connell said. “I want to be someone that everyone can rely on.”
From looking at her game stats, O’Connell has a strong mindset, she’s determined to be the best she can be, both for herself but also her team. She hasn’t been wasting any time to make an impact on the team and the field, currently leading the team in assists and getting a lot of playing time every game. As a first-year, there can be a lot of pressure to find your place on a team, or worrying about how you can prove yourself and show that you really earned the spot you were given. O’Connell realized that and has been making sure to give 110% every time she’s out on the field. Leading the team in assists as a first-year is extremely impressive. Along with this, she found her first career and game winning goal. While she found her place on the field, she also found connections with her teammates. “All the girls on the team are really welcoming, especially the captains. I also thought it would be a much harder jump coming to the college level. But I think it’s just because everyone’s so welcoming. You just kind of fit right in, which is really nice.” Being able to form a bond off the field makes the team stronger as a whole during their matches.
“Emily has made an immediate impact on our team this year. She brings a high soccer IQ to the game, constantly making the smart decision on the field that brings success to both herself and our team. She is one of the players that you enjoy playing with and watching. Her technical and tactical skills are something every player wishes they had. I can only imagine the success her and the rest of the freshman class will have in the next couple years,” said senior team captain, Alexa Skinner.
O’Connell is a player that everyone should make sure to keep their eyes on, both the rest of this season but also these next few years. It would be no surprise to see her become more of a leader on and off the field. She is hopeful that the team continues to find success as they head into the later half of the season. The team is currently ranked third place in the Little East Conference.
Nikolas O’Connor can be contacted at
