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Junior Scores With Soccer
Meghan Hartzell '04 has been an avid basketball player for the Shorewomen for the past two years. This fall she decided to take her game outside. Although she hadn't put on cleats since high school, Hartzell took the field as a soccer player. In her collegiate debut, she scored two goals.
"I guess deciding to play soccer in my junior year wasn't really as difficult as I thought it would be. I've played soccer since I was five; I think it was more of a transition not playing soccer in college."
Hartzell first considered playing a second varsity sport last spring, when the off-season team needed a few more players for a tournament. She contributed two goals to a 3-0 win, and began practicing and playing with the team. "That just reminded me how much I missed the game," Hartzell said.
In September Hartzell stepped onto Shriver Field for her first intercollegiate soccer game, the opening of the "Showdown on the Shore." Hartzell made history that day as she became the first Shorewoman to score two goals in her collegiate debut. The 5-0 win against Albright College was also the program's first season-opener win.
The Shorewomen went on to win their second game of the tournament in the championship round, beating Marywood 7-2 to claim the tourney title. Hartzell pitched in two goals and two assists for the win.
Playing both soccer and basketball, especially when the seasons partially overlap, is difficult, but Hartzell is well-prepared. "I think my success in soccer is partially due to playing basketball. Basketball is such a physically and emotionally demanding sport. I think it has made me tougher mentally, and more competitive."
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