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12/07/2017 11:00 PMJunior Ali Szewc put together her best season with the East Haven girls’ soccer team this fall after being deployed to the center back position. Ali had played outside midfielder the past two years, but first-year Head Coach Jake Hackett put her on defense this season, and Ali was ecstatic to make the move. Ali wound up earning a spot on the All-Quinnipiac Division Team for the Yellowjackets.
“I was very happy when he told me I was the starting center back. I had never been happier in my whole life. I can play anywhere, but I’m strongest at defender,” says Ali. “I wasn’t to my full potential my freshman and sophomore year. Coach Jake gave me more trust, and I think this was my best year. I scored my first varsity goal and went All-Division. I think those two accomplishments mean the most to me, and he brought that out because he put trust in me.”
Ali loves going up against the opposition’s top forwards. She knows it’s her role to shut them down, and she’ll do everything in her power to do just that.
“I show no mercy on anyone. I’m a loud talker, and I can easily take out anyone without a doubt,” Ali says. “I would say it’s a mental thing. I’m not rude to them, but physically, [one-on-one] tackles and just the way I play, they usually don’t see a center back that can pass or kick the way I can. They don’t expect it. But it’s my vocalization. They don’t expect it, and that can easily get into somebody’s head and them out of a game.”
While Ali often talks to the competition, she also does a great job of communicating with her teammates and directing traffic on the field.
“I would count myself as a leader on the field. I direct everyone, and I treat everyone the same. My best friend plays on the team, but I don’t treat her better than someone I barely know,” she says. “I’m just comfortable [on defense]. I can lead from the back and see the whole field. It’s amazing. The day I have to give that up on my Senior Night next year, it’s going to be horrible. I love this position with all my heart.”
Coach Hackett sees how big of a presence Ali has on the pitch and knows just how important she’ll be to next season’s team.
“She’s an absolute nightmare for attackers. She’s aggressive, smart, patient in moments when she needs to be patient, and a ball winner when she needs to be. Her aggression, passion, and fight just makes her a real special player,” Hackett says. “She was the anchor on our defense. She played at an exceptional level to motivate the team. She comes up with the big play in the big moments and is a player you can build around.”
Ali took well to Hackett’s coaching philosophy this year, and she believes that’s why she jelled so well with her fellow Yellowjackets.
“He brought energy. He’s not all about winning. He cares about us and if we’re getting better and giving 110 percent,” says Ali of Hackett. “That’s all he asks for: us giving maximum effort. I love that, and I appreciate that.”
Ali came up through the ranks in East Haven’s Youth Soccer Program under the guidance of John Gildersleeve. She’s currently giving back to that program as a coach.
“I volunteer there. I love it, because it’s great to see the little kids play,” Ali says. “Last spring, I had my own team of little girls—about eight and nine years old—and I loved coaching them.”
Although Ali likes coaching, she’s happy that she still has one more year of soccer to play at the high school.
“I hate going two weeks without playing,” says Ali. “I’m in my offseason, and I’m already dying to get back on the field.”