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12/12/2018 11:00 PMAbbey Vilaseca stretched her skill set by patrolling all ends of the field for the Guilford girls’ soccer team. This fall, Abbey capped off her high school career with a pair of prestigious honors, while helping the Indians shake off a slow start to their season.
Abbey started playing soccer when she was six and has competed on a year-round basis ever since. This year, the senior finished her tenure with the Indians by making the All-SCC and All-State teams for her play at the center midfielder position. Along the way, Abbey helped Guilford rebound from an 0-3-4 start to finish the regular season with record of 5-5-6, resulting in SCC and Class L State tournament berths.
“For all of my efforts, I definitely have to thank my teammates,” Abbey says. “They are always there for me and make the right passes.”
Abbey has more of offensive mindset while serving as a medium between Guilford’s attackers and defenders. However, Abbey always stays ready to defend and knows that she can rely on the support of her talented cast of teammates.
“I like playing more forward than defending, because you can make more plays that way,” says Abbey, who had a goal with an assist this year. “One of the tougher parts of the position is defending, but I know my teammates around me are good at it, and they have my back.”
Abbey says that she’s picked up her pace on the pitch throughout her time at Guilford. She’s also developed an added layer of confidence—something that wasn’t there during her first few seasons with the Indians.
“Physically, I’ve gotten faster and better through the running we’ve done,” Abbey says. “Mentally, in my freshman and sophomore years, I didn’t have as much confidence, especially in playing with the older girls in practice. But I’ve gained a lot more confidence.”
Head Coach Scott McMahon describes Abbey as an athlete who has great ability and displays solid leadership qualities. These traits helped Abbey earn a starting role for the Indians as a junior last year.
“Abbey is as consistent a game-time player as we’ve had in Guilford,” McMahon says. “Last season, she broke through into the starting lineup and showed game leadership and composure. This season, she worked hard to improve herself as a game player and also as a leader and example for the younger players at practices. She will have tremendous success at the next level due to her attitude, hard work, and style of play and will be tough to replace for next season.”
While Abbey wasn’t a captain, she still served as a leader for the Indians in her senior season. Abbey wanted to ensure that her teammates were in a positive frame of mind whenever it was time to take the field.
“As a senior, I just make sure everyone out there is confident in what they are doing,” she says. “I make sure the girls aren’t getting down on themselves and that they also feel good about what they are doing.”
Abbey feels this sort of positive reinforcement is a reflection of Guilford’s coaching staff. While the team went through some growing pains early on this year, Guilford’s coaches kept the Indians upbeat on their way to another appearance in the postseason.
“We did have a rough start this year, but our coaches really picked us up,” says Abbey. “The coaches were so motivating to us with speeches and talks. They kept saying we would get wins, and they helped set the pace for the second half of our season.”