Elena Paolini '19 Recruiting Profile

I started playing varsity as a sophomore, but as a goalie.  The team already had a returning starting goalie, and even after a competitive preseason, the goalie with more varsity experience was chosen. Goalie, being the position that it is, led me to see almost no playing time.  After that season, I had a discussion with my coaches that led to the decision to switch me to field.  I went into junior year with everything to prove, and won the starting central back position in the first game. I almost never left the field after that, switching between outside and central back. Sitting through a season on the bench allowed me to grow as a player and contribute to the team in other ways, as well as realize that versatility is useful to all teams.  

From a soccer perspective, having the experience of both goalkeeper and field player has allowed me to see the game differently.  Having the experience of goalie has allowed me to better position myself on defense and know what attacking players tend to do. 

In college, I hope to bring my versatility and unique experience to the team in anyway possible while having a challenging athletic and academic experience.