Southington Ski Building Leaders On and Off Slopes

The SHS ski racing team at Mt. Southington. ART RICH PHOTO

Thirty seconds, twenty-five on a good run – that’s all a racer gets to make their marks on the slopes. But for the Southington High School ski team, the time spent off the course is what makes all the difference.

With only 13 skiers on their roster, the Blue Knights must come together to put forth their best times. To head coach Brian Landry, the program’s need for camaraderie is what sets Southington apart.

“It’s a very close-knit group. We work hard together, we have a good time and we really support each other,” Landry said. “It is a team sport, but it does come down to individual races. Each racer has the opportunity to really compete and challenge themselves to be the best they can be. We have various levels of experience within the team. We look forward to those with experience continuing to foster a good environment.”

Landry has been involved in the local ski scene for the past 16 years. He began working with Flanders Elementary School’s ski club before making the transition to Southington High eight years ago. Originally an assistant coach, Landry has been leading the program officially for the past three seasons.

Joining him is assistant coach Eric Galvin, who has been in his post over the last three years. Growing up in Waterbury, he remembers competing against the Southington ski team until his graduation in 1991. Once he was in a position to help lead the next generation, Galvin felt a calling to give back.

“It was really enjoyable, it was a nice next step,” Landry said of joining the high school staff. “I saw the transition from when they were younger. We’re a small group, and we really support each other as a team. We try to foster each other. We try to build camaraderie amongst the racers while still being competitive. We want to be competitive. We want to put our best foot forward and be competitive against some of these big, big schools.”

“Having done this as a high schooler myself, I can’t help but think about the coaches I’ve had and the impact they had on my own learning,” Galvin added. “At this stage of life, I think it’s important to give back to what I think is a really terrific group of students and skiers who just want to be out on the snow. Some of them really want to compete, others want to be a part of a team sport.”

Over Landry’s eight years with the Blue Knights, he has seen anywhere from 10 to 16 racers on the team. For the 13 on this year’s squad, the coaching staff is expecting growth on and off the slopes. The head coach said growing as leaders will be crucial for Southington’s success, along with building of morale.

“We try to build values in these racers,” Landry said. “Encourage personal growth as well as team growth. Trying to teach these racers to be leaders themselves is a big thing.”

How Southington Competes

Southington competes in the Connecticut Interscholastic Ski League. This season, 27 different schools are in the league. To qualify for the team championships, there must be at least six consistent racers. For individuals, times throughout the season determine if one qualifies. From there, selected racers then advance to compete for Team Connecticut at the Regional Championship.

In a race, each competitor gets two attempts. Their fastest time is taken as their official run. It can all come down to less than a second.

“Each race is very short, that tenth of a second can definitely matter,” Landry said. “How fast and quickly do they come out of the gate, and how quickly do they push themselves through the finish line.”

This year, Southington has five races on their schedule. Set to conclude the regular season on February 4, the Blue Knights began their 2026 journey back on January 7. Before their first meet, the ski team had just two practices.

In that first race, 231 skiers competed on the boys side. Freshman Andrew Poulos led the way for Southington, finishing 38th. Sophomore Nicholas Dura finished right behind in 59th.

On the girls side, 168 racers competed. Senior Madalyne Landry finished for the Blue Knights in 54^th, while freshman Sophia Testa finished second in 68th.

As they close out their campaign, Landry expects Southington to continue hitting their competitive stride. They’ll need that fire to reach their pinnacle. Galvin wants resilience. He knows the CISL poses a difficult test. But it is one Southington should be prepared for.

“I look for them to develop and grow by challenging themselves. Improving the skills that lead to better times in future races,” Landry said. “You have to have that competitiveness in you in order to get better. I want them to continue becoming better leaders, mentoring each other, supporting each other. That comes in the future, so very important. It’s a good skill to have.”

“Resilience,” Galvin continued. “There are a lot of schools that have really talented skiers and racers. We want them to recognize that you can win by being the best conditioned, not necessarily having to be the most talented. More importantly than that, we hope to play a hand in developing the very best human beings that we can. They’re great individuals. We just want to do our part.”

Practice Plan Boosts Leadership

The ski team has the luxury of hosting practices and meets right at Mt. Southington. However, all of the 27 other teams in the CISL also practice at Mt. Southington. It has forced the Blue Knights to alter their practice plans.

“This year we’ve tried to be very disciplined about our practice time,” Galvin said. “There are 27 schools, they all practice at Mt. Southington. We’re spoiled that it’s in our town, but burdened to a degree that we have a lot of people who want to use the same small amount of space.”

In a given week, Southington will have two to two and half hours of practice time. To maximize their hours, the Blue Knights have divided practice in half. They’ll spend part of the time in a race-like scenario, physically preparing for their next meet. The other half is spent on different exercises to improve things like muscle memory and technique.

When they go through those drills, different leaders will emerge. A racer will lead an exercise, as their teammates stay locked into their guidance. For the coaching staff, it’s an opportunity to learn from their racer’s creativity and experience. For any of the 13 on this year’s squad, it’s an opportunity to show you can take charge.

“Even though we’re a team with four senior girls who have plenty of experience, sometimes that freshman or sophomore boy might have something that is valuable to add,” Galvin said. “Most often, the senior girls have a lot more maturity. They’re able to lead the team through practice and drills.”

“The biggest objective we have is to build these leaders regardless of what year you are, what title you might have,” he continued. “It’s really trying to lead regardless of where you’re coming from from a point of status.”

Captains Step Up

When electing this year’s captains, the coaching staff opened it up to the racers. They asked who wanted to take on the responsibility. Amidst the crowd, seniors Mary Landowski and Madalyne Landry emerged, being named the Blue Knights’ 2026 captains.

Team captains Madalyne Landry and Mary Landowski. ERIC GALVIN PHOTO

“When it came to elect captains, it was really important that Coach Brian step aside and say, ‘Who wants to be a captain?’” Galvin said. “There are responsibilities. Given that we’re a small club type of a sport, it’s not something that is as visible as football or soccer. We asked people who were interested, those were the two that put themselves forward.”

Madalyne, Coach Landry’s daughter, has been skiing since she was three years old. She rose up the elementary and middle school ranks before joining the team as a freshman. Alongside her work on the slopes, Landry serves as Southington’s unofficial PR person, posting on Instagram or doing whatever she can to get the word out about the team.

Landowski is another four-year skier for the Blue Knights. Galvin credited her maturity and willingness to never back down from a challenge.

While everyone has a chance to lead at practice, ultimately a small roster of 13 needs a focal voice. That comes in the form of Landry and Landowski, who do everything in their power to ensure Southington competes to the best of their abilities.

“We couldn’t be happier with who stepped up and raised their hand,” Galvin said. “From a leadership perspective, no matter what you do in life. It’s such a formative experience.”

The Southington ski team features seniors: Mary Landowski, Maya Dura, Julia Davino and Madalyne Landry; juniors: Paige Straub, Brady Galvin and Joshua Smailes; sophomores: Nicholas Dura and Nuno Moreira; and freshmen: Alexis Fortin, Sophia Testa, Alice Reily and Andrew Poulos.

Southington Looking to Grow Family

Since joining the Southington coaching staff eight years ago, Landry has seen five racers go on to compete at the college level. Moving forward, he’s hoping to see the Blue Knights’ numbers continue to increase.

Alongside Landry and Galvin, Southington is aided by the help of a number of parents. Both coaches credited those volunteers for helping keep the program afloat. To Galvin, it’s that community mentality that makes the Blue Knights special.

“Our program within this town is much more akin to family, a close circle of people,” Galvin said. “The high school is a big facility. It’s easy to get lost as an individual in 2,500-ish kids. This is a program that is smaller and more intimate in how you learn about each other and the reliance of one another. Just learning about people you would’ve otherwise not crossed.”

To some, Southington’s roster size may be a disadvantage. Some of their CISL competitors more than double their numbers. But Landry views that as a strength. Thirteen or 1,300, every racer repping Southington has a shared goal in mind. And everyone is going to work together to ensure their objective is complete.

“Some of these other teams have like 60 racers. That’s what stands out, how unique a small team we are,” Landry said. “We support, foster, mentor each other. Coach Eric and I really get to know these racers, them as a whole person. The parents are supportive and we get to know the parents so forth. They want the same for their child, their racer. A good environment where they’re learning to be good racers, if they’re not already. Good growth. We’re all out there for the same reason.”

Jenna Hebert Becomes Leader of Southington Cross Country, Track

SHS Senior Jenna Hebert JACLYN SULLIVAN PHOTO

When Jenna Hebert joined the Southington High School girls country team, she was standing at the feet of program legends, looking up to their accomplishments. Four years later, Hebert now runs in their footsteps, leading three different Blue Knights athletic programs as captain.

“It was kind of intimidating at first. All these girls were pretty fast. Even girls in my grade were faster than me, and then there were all these upperclassmen doing amazing things,” Hebert said. “I definitely looked up to them a lot. By the time I was a sophomore, and starting to get better and into the swing of things, I realized they’re just like me.”

Running cross country began for Hebert in sixth grade at DePaolo Middle School, but she had always been athletic. Already a two-season athlete, her parents Tina and Ethan encouraged her to add cross country as her fall sport.

It wasn’t an immediate hit with Hebert, though she liked being with her runner friends. It took time before running really became something the now senior enjoyed.

“No,” Hebert said bluntly about if running clicked with her immediately. “Truly, I did it because my friends did it. I just ended up getting better at it as I became a better athlete. In high school. I started putting serious time into running. That’s when I started to feel things click.”

“For my first three years of cross country, I was really just doing it,” she continued. “I don’t want to say I wasn’t trying. But I definitely wasn’t thinking a lot about my performance.”

Still, by her eighth grade season, Hebert had seen herself grow as a runner. She started taking her training more seriously and decided to continue running at the high school level. Because of that, she had the opportunity to train with some of the Blue Knights before her freshman season.

Hebert was already feeling more comfortable with her jump up to high school. When it came to competing as a runner, she knew it was time to fully lock in.

“Maturing as an athlete and person,” Hebert said. “You have to make a decision at some point: either ‘I’m just doing this for fun’, or ‘I want to get good, I want to compete at this.’ I wasn’t planning on switching to any other fall sport. I was like, ‘I’m all-in.’”

Hebert Becomes Full-Time Runner with Blue Knights

As a freshman, Hebert joined Southington’s girls cross country and outdoor track and field teams. She was also a member of the girl’s basketball team. Then Hebert made a consequential decision.

She left the basketball team after her freshman season and joined indoor track as her winter season sport. Hebert had fully caught the running bug and was now racing year round. Her definition of ‘all-in’ took on a whole different meaning.

“When I went into cross country as a freshman, I found I really liked competing. I really liked racing other girls,” Hebert said. “I felt a lot more personal autonomy and satisfaction from running. Competing in running, competing with my friends and seeing my progress was a lot more promising to me than basketball. That’s why I went all-in.”

Hebert’s sophomore season was when she saw her most progress as a runner. She was putting in the work and seeing her times improve. Helping her along the way was her new head coach Jaclyn Sullivan. Sullivan’s arrival helped spark the racer’s competitive desire.

“Her training really did something for me,” Hebert said. “Her whole attitude towards running made me want to be a lot more committed. It made me realize I can be a lot faster than I thought I was.”

It didn’t take long for Sullivan to realize what she had in Hebert as both a runner and person. Working with her since sophomore year, the head coach has only seen the runner’s positive traits blossom further.

“What sets Jenna apart is how thoughtfully she engages in her development as both a runner and a leader,” Sullivan said. “She communicates openly about race plans, reflects honestly on workouts and races, and processes training in a meaningful way. She understands the purpose behind the work and applies feedback with intention, which has contributed to the confidence she has developed this year. She models what it looks like to be a runner who is actively working to grow.”

Thanks to this new mentality and Sullivan’s coaching plan, Hebert qualified for the Central Connecticut Conference and Class LL State Tournament during her sophomore indoor track season. She ran the 1000 meters as an individual at CCCs and the 1600 meter relay at States.

Her first time competing at that level proved a bit nerve wracking for Hebert. Still, she relied on her preparation and put out her best effort. 

“It was my first time ever, so it was definitely really scary,” Hebert said. “But Coach Jackie has always taught us to be confident and fall back on our training. That really helped me going into that. I ran a great race, I can’t complain.”

JENNA HEBERT PHOTOS

Varsity Jump Comes with Difficult Hurdle

By her junior season, Hebert had made the varsity cross country team. With indoor and outdoor track as well, she was now a three-sport varsity athlete. The transition still came with difficulties though, as Hebert had to take on an entirely new brand of running.

“That was definitely a switch for me,” Hebert said. “I found you have to race a lot differently. You have to be a lot more confident in yourself. You’re on the same line as girls who are insane, committed D1. You need to be confident about where you should be in the race and moving up. With that summer training and everything I did going into my junior year, knowing that I was capable, helped me a lot. Even though I was running against a lot of people that were better than me.”

After making such big strides as a sophomore, Hebert admits she wasn’t sure what to expect as a junior. She used the first couple of races to see where she stood so she could plan her next course of action.

But Hebert couldn’t have foreseen what her senior year eventually brought. After competing in cross country the whole season, she suffered a left hip injury right before CCCs. She hadn’t dealt with an injury as serious as this one before and was ultimately sidelined for the cross country postseason

“That was my first time ever having a big injury where I’m out for weeks at a time. It came on very suddenly right before the conference meet, which sucked,” Hebert said. “I focused on what I can do for the team. Cheering for my teammates, making sure that everybody is good, helping out with people who are nervous. I was still grateful to be there, and it was very exciting watching all my teammates race.”

While she couldn’t compete herself, Hebert still took her role with the Blue Knights seriously. She still attended CCCs and States. Hurt hip or not, Hebert wanted her teammates to know she was still standing besides them.

“It was honestly such a pleasure to run my senior season with the teammates I’ve been running with for the past four years,” Hebert said. “To see my growth from freshman to senior year, that was all a privilege.”

Hebert Leads Southington

As she competes in her last indoor track season, and prepares for her final outdoor track campaign, Hebert is hoping to continue setting personal records while qualifying for CCCs and States. However, her racing times don't paint the full picture of what she offers the Blue Knights.

Hebert was named an outdoor track and field captain as a junior. As a senior she became a captain for cross country alongside Katherine Cavanaugh, and for indoor track along with Cavanaugh and Adriana Paskowski.

Hebert understands that running can be a mentally tough sport. As a leader, she is hoping to offer support and guidance for anyone who may have been in her shoes previously.

“Anything from being a nice, familiar face in the hallway to somebody who’s helping out during workouts and encouraging people during the race,” Hebert said of what being a captain means. “When I wasn’t injured, I’d lead by example as much as vocally. That’s what it means to me, leading by example and helping teammates with running mentally.”

It’s clear to Sullivan why Hebert operates as such a strong leader. She credits the senior for her understanding of program expectations and her overall dependability. The Blue Knights as a team have grown in part due to the way in which Hebert carries herself as a teammate.

“Working with Jenna as an athlete has been a positive and engaging experience,” Sullivan said. “She brings confidence, intention, and self-awareness to our program and leads through how she trains, prepares, and competes. With the experience she has in the sport, she is willing to fully invest in the work needed to continue improving.”

“As a teammate, Jenna is supportive and respectful, consistently offering encouragement after races and recognizing the success of others,” she continued. “She is committed to her own improvement and brings that same mindset to the team, understanding that individual growth and team success are closely connected. Jenna is an important part of our program, and the example she sets through her engagement, communication, and leadership will have a lasting impact.”

Hebert won’t be running at the college level. She is still picking out a school, but she is hoping to major in something that gets her on the pre-law track, so that she can ultimately go to law school.

As she looks back at her time as a runner, the senior can’t help but notice her times improving and more personal records being racked up. But those times wouldn’t have happened had Hebert not grown as a person, from a shy freshman to a confident senior. It’s that inner improvement that Hebert will remember most.

“You can see my times, my personal records. But to me, what’s changed the most is how I treat things mentally,” Hebert said. “As an underclassmen, I’d be so nervous hours and hours, the whole day leading up to my race. Now, I go into things with a lot more confidence. That comes not only from experience, but from being able to trust myself and my training. As I’ve worked, obviously my times have gotten better. But it took just as much work to change my mentality.”

From her days at DePaolo running around with friends to competing at CCCs and States against her biggest competition, Hebert always repped Southington. There, she learned how to run and found her pack. As she closes out her time with the Blue Knights, Hebert won’t soon forget the miles and memories accumulated along the way.

“It means the world to me,” Hebert said. “I’ve met so many people that I’m so close to now through cross country and track. I’ve been able to learn a lot about myself and how to deal with hard things outside of running. All that and all the people I’ve met are things I can carry with me for a long time.”

Southington’s Mathews Never Gave Up On College Soccer Dream

PHOTOS COURTESY GIANNA MATHEWS

Once, as a sophomore on Southington High School girls soccer varsity squad, Gianna Mathews got time on the field against rival Maloney. During a crucial moment she was beaten by an attacker to the outside. But Mathews didn’t sulk on the pitch; she did what she does best and fought back, chasing down the ball and getting back possession for her team via a slide tackle.

That play showed Southington’s coaching staff everything they needed to see. Mathews has started every game since then, going on to have a successful career with the Blue Knights.

“The effort on the field. Going after every single ball,” Mathews says of her biggest strengths. “I remember a play, I got beat by a girl. She was dribbling down the field. I hustled all the way back to get the ball from her. Just because you get beat first, my effort and willingness to get the ball back really showed them I’m always giving my 110 percent, no matter how many minutes I’m on the field.”

Mathews’ soccer career will continue at the college level. She has committed to play at Curry College after her graduation from Southington. Her commitment was the culmination of Mathews’ perseverance and desire to continue her soccer-playing journey – a journey that began when she was three years old.

At the time, Mathews was still trying to see which sport stuck. Gymnastics wasn’t really her thing. She liked basketball and would go on to play through her junior year. However, there was nothing like soccer. Mathews loved being outdoors and having so much space on the field to play on.

Things began to get serious during fourth grade. Mathews joined Sporting CT, her first club team. At that moment, she realized that her love for soccer went beyond just how much fun she was having.

“That’s how I really began to realize, ‘Wow, I am interested in this sport.’ Not only is it fun, I want to competitively play it,” Mathews said. “I want to win games, I want to succeed in the sport. It wasn’t just something that I did for fun anymore. This could be something more for me.”

In sixth grade she would join her next club team, FSA. Then in eighth grade Mathews would join Vale, the club team she stuck with throughout high school. At the same time, she was playing on John F. Kennedy Middle School’s team. Her soccer career was beginning to blossom, and Mathews didn’t want it to end anytime soon.

“It was very hard to get onto the middle school team. When I made that team, I knew I was good enough to play with people,” Mathews said. “When I got towards the end of middle school, I realized that I did want to do this in college. It was something I didn’t want to just end in high school.”

On the pitch, Mathews found her home at center attacking midfielder. As much as she loves scoring goals, she revels in getting her teammates opportunities. Furthermore, Mathews understands just how important her and her fellow midfielder’s roles are in controlling the game.

“I truly love that position,” Mathews said. “Scoring goals is amazing, I do love scoring. But at the same time, I love passing the ball to my teammates so that they get the opportunity to excel. It’s not just me on the field. The center midfield are the key players. If they’re slow, the game is going to go slow. If they’re on their toes, the game is going to go faster. Those people are so essential. If you know how to play it, and play it well, your whole team will succeed.”

Mathews had found her sport. Soccer wasn’t just a fad. Now it was time for her to take her talents to the high school level.

Blue Knights Debut

Mathews earned her varsity letter as a freshman, although she didn’t see much playing time. What she did do was spend plenty of time practicing with her new Blue Knights teammates. She remembers looking up to players such as Jessica Carr, Sofia Scalise and Sage Carmody. Mathews says those players helped her get acclimated to what high school soccer had to offer.

“Practicing with the varsity team made me such a better player. I was able to learn from all these great players. It really helped me.”

Once sophomore season began, Mathews remembers hearing that she wasn’t expected to make a major impact. That all changed once she got her opportunity on the field. After earning the starting nod, Mathews went on to play a crucial role in the Blue Knights’ run to the second-round of the Class LL State Tournament.

There she was playing alongside teammates she looked up to like Riley Prozzo and Julia Rusiecki. In the first half, Southington found themselves trailing against Greenwich. After a free kick from Prozzo, Mathews was able to find the deflection and tap the ball in for a goal. While Southington lost 3-1, it was a moment that Mathews said helped define her Blue Knights tenure.

“I knew I was good enough to play with Riley Prozzo, Julia Rusiecki,” Mathews said. “Being on the field with them made me a better player.”

As she continued to take advantage of opportunities with Southington, Mathews has never stopped playing for Vale, even in her senior season. The center attacking midfielder wouldn’t have it any other way: it may be a lot of soccer, but Mathews never wants to take her foot off the gas.

“Right when soccer season for the high school ends, Vale picks up a couple weeks later. I love that,” Mathews said. “That week off I don’t know what to do with myself. I just love being on the field, I enjoy going to practice. I enjoy every aspect of it and I can’t wait for it to start up again.”

Desire to further her soccer career then forced her to make a crucial decision come junior year.

Mathews Goes All-In On Soccer

Mathews was still playing for the Southington girls basketball team her junior season. That year, the Blue Knights won the Central Connecticut Conference Championship and made a run all the way to the Class LL State Championship Finals. Mathews took part in all of that while still trying to showcase herself as a soccer player.

Showcases for interested colleges happen during the winter. Junior season is when Mathews knew coaches would be watching. She continued to attend showcases and games while the basketball season was going on.

In one particular instance, Mathews had to drive to Massachusetts for a soccer match, then drive all the way back to Connecticut to take part in that evening’s CCC basketball game. Given how long the Blue Knights’ season went, there were times Mathews would have to miss practice due to a showcase.

She loved basketball, but Mathews’ true passion remained soccer. After her junior season, Mathews left the basketball team to focus solely on soccer.

“That commitment that I had to soccer just showed how much I really cared for the sport,” Mathews said. “I was willing to do whatever it takes to try and succeed.”

On the pitch, Mathews got a new head coach in Megan Kavanaugh. The former JV coach had seen how the midfielder performed in games. After a year of coaching her, Kavanaugh made a decision that would significantly impact Mathews’ senior season.

Mathews Leads Southington As Senior

Kavanaugh named Mathews the Blue Knights’ first captain around June. She would later be joined by fellow seniors Emily Bafuma, Emily Boucher and Abbie Patavino. But in the summer, Mathews was the Blue Knights’ leader, the person they relied on.

It was a role that Mathews took seriously. Southington had barely snuck into the Class LL State Tournament in her junior season. Now, the Blue Knights were set to lose 10 seniors and field a team featuring many first-time varsity players. Still, Mathews wanted Southington to make an impact. All members of the team had to have faith in one another for Southington to compete as one.

“Being a captain to me specifically meant welcoming people to the team with kindness, open arms. Not putting anyone down,” Mathews said. “If someone makes a mistake, you’re not going to get mad at them. You’re going to lift them up. At the end of the day, that’s what your team is for. You need to be able to trust your team. Having that sympathy and compassion as a captain showed the other girls that they can play how they want to without fear of someone yelling at them for making a simple mistake.”

In addition to sharing the title of captain, Mathews and Bafuma are teammates at the club level at Vale. They’ve grown close as friends through their shared love of soccer. Bafuma couldn’t think of a better person to end her time with the Blue Knights with.

“She is always a consistently hardworking and reliable teammate,” Bafuma said. “And she always has a positive attitude no matter the situation.”

During Mathews’ senior season, Southington girls soccer qualified for the Class LL State Tournament with their 9-5-2 record. While the Blue Knights were eliminated in the first round, they showed growth from Mathews’ junior year and managed to make their mark.

Outside of their success on the field, Mathews saw the Blue Knights become much closer as a team. Initially players are funneled into the program from two separate schools, JFK and Joseph A. Depaolo Middle School. But after playing alongside them for four years, Mathews has seen all of her Southington teammates develop a true connection.

“I’ve gotten a lot closer with a lot of people in my grade,” Mathews said. “In the beginning I didn’t know many people. Now, I’ve gotten so close, especially with Emily Bafuma. As a team we’ve gotten much closer, it’s not as divided as it used to be.”

Mathews’ soccer career is far from over. Everything she learned with the Blue Knights will come with her during her tenure at Curry College.

Mathews Achieves College Soccer Dream

Curry wasn’t on Mathews’ radar at first. She had known about the school through Carmody, who had committed a year prior. But Mathews was holding out for a Division II program and potentially a soccer scholarship.

Yet when that DII opportunity came, Mathews had to reassess what she really wanted out of the college experience. She began to think about her academic goals as well as her athletic ones. Once she took everything into account, Mathews realized that Curry College was the right place for her.

“At this point it feels like a relief that I accomplished what I wanted to since I was younger,” Mathews said. “I know where I was going to college, I have it all figured out which is so exciting. I feel so great that I was able to accomplish what I wanted to.”

When it came to the soccer aspect of her college decision, Mathews had some expectations of her future program – chief of which was a coaching staff and team she could trust. Once she met Curry head coach Lindsey Garvey, Mathews found her support system. She called the head coach, “one of the nicest people she’s ever met.” Furthermore, her honesty throughout the recruiting process made Mathews’ decision easier.

“The coaching staff and team I really wanted to love,” Mathews said. “If you don’t like your coaches or your team, then it makes the sport draining, it makes you not want to be there. I wanted to connect with them at that level.”

In the classroom, Mathews will be majoring in psychology. On the field, she doesn’t plan to alter how she approaches the game. Mathews knows things will get tougher at the college level. But she isn’t letting that change her mindset as she heads to Curry.

“Positivity. I rely on that so much,” Mathews said. “Yeah, you got to be hard on yourself, but if you don’t let yourself make mistakes, if you don’t let your teammates make mistakes, then you cannot play to the best of your ability. I’m going to go in with a great attitude every single day. Some days may not be the best. But I’ll get them better next time.”

Once Mathews set her mind to succeeding at soccer, there was nothing that could stop her. Not low expectations entering her sophomore season. Not a two-way trip from Massachusetts and back. The sport helped shape her mentality and showed Mathews how to push forward through any hurdle, or pesky Maloney attacker.

“I’m never going to give up,” Mathews said. “With that athlete in me, it’s not possible for me to. If things get hard now, it will get better later. There’s always a better side to it.”