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10/20/2016 12:00 AMSometimes in life, you do get a second chance, and such is the case for Lily Geshwind with her successful return to the net for the Hand girls’ soccer squad.
Lily, a senior, played soccer and softball through her sophomore year, but then left the soccer program to focus more on softball, which she hopes to play in college. However, the Tigers were in need of a goalkeeper entering this season and so some of Lily’s former teammates reached out to her about rejoining the team. Lily answered the call and she hasn’t looked back—posting eight shutouts and allowing only five goals thus far this year for Hand, which is 8-1-3 and headed to the postseason.
“Those first few games meant a lot to me in a sense that I was wishing I never left soccer,” Lily says. “It’s a good feeling to be there as keeper because you know you have to stand strong. You have a role as a leader behind everyone with supporting them. It’s always rewarding to come out with a win or tie in those spots.”
Lily faced some tough tests right out of the gate when Hand went up against Guilford and Amity in her first two games. However, Lily quickly took on a leadership role between the posts and helped the Tigers earn a pair of scoreless ties.
“I wasn’t sure about coming back at first because I knew I had a lot going on in the fall with college applications, but I gave it a second thought because I missed soccer. I’m happy I did,” says Lily, who plays third base and catcher for the softball squad. “Being on the field is really special because I have a lot of pride in my school and take sports very seriously to be the best I can be. It felt like riding a bike because I had some great training when I left.”
As an intense competitor who plays a pressure-packed position on the pitch, Lily has ice water in her veins because she knows she’s worked hard to be ready for any situation that arises.
“I was a little nervous coming back at first with either not being up to par with my training or getting hurt. But the way I deal with nerves is that I work hard to be prepared and, once the game starts, I take a deep breath and know I’m prepared,” says Lily. “It’s helped me with a lot of things in life and I just love the feeling of adrenaline once you are in the game.”
Hand’s Head Coach David Dikranian was quick to notice Lily’s commitment to excellence as a netminder. He was also amazed at how quickly she picked up the game after being away for a season.
“Lily came into tryouts without touching the ball for a year and a half to win the job. She faced two very strong teams in Guilford and Amity, posting two shutouts, including a diving save in the final minute against Guilford. She made game-saving saves against both teams to earn draws for Hand,” says Dikranian. “Her attitude and commitment to being the best she can be has really impressed the coaches and her teammates. It’s a nice story for someone who came back to soccer on short notice.”
Lily doesn’t think too much about making those types of highlight reel saves that Dikranian described. Instead, she just relies on her training and lets the game come to her. Lily plans to continue doing that as the Tigers gear up to compete in the playoffs.
“I don’t think a lot of about making saves like that in the moment. Moments like that, I tell myself that I’ve prepared for them. Still, it’s a good feeling after those saves knowing you know how to make them and have your teammates praise you for it,” says Lily, who thanks her family and friends, along with Dikranian and Hand goalkeeper coach Brett Donohue. “We just need to keep working hard and even harder than we were at the beginning of the season. If we do that, then we will be in good shape for SCCs.”