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12/13/2023 02:46 PMGrowing up, Lilly McFadden looked to emulate the players on the pitch she viewed through the comfort of her own home, though once she got into the field herself, she truly saw the persistence that was necessary to carry an individual to the top–driving her that much more.
The senior left wing forward and Hand girls’ soccer team captain began playing soccer at the young age of 3, and while she tried other games throughout that time span, soccer held true as her athletic love. This past fall, Lilly earned 12 goals and 14 assists, while helping the Tigers again reach the SCC and Class M State Tournaments. She also secured First Team All-SCC recognition in the process.
“My parents watched soccer on television, and I wanted to be like the players I saw. I also saw the sport as so much fun while practicing and playing it with my friends,” says Lilly. “My success with soccer has been fueled by my love for it. To get to a high level within the sport, you have to put in the hard work daily, and I love doing that.”
When it comes to mono-e-mono set ups, Lilly runs towards the challenge, rather than feigning it–pushing the ball into the front of the net when she cannot make the tally-scoring slice herself. She adds that as the years went on, and she earned her ascendency up the ranks and the depth chart, her mojo kept flowing.
“I love taking on people one-on-one on the wing, and then sliding the ball into the box. It is a lot of running with playing forward, and it can be tough sometimes to get back and help the defense,” says Lilly. “As a junior and senior, I got more playing time and got more confident. I also grew more confident in my skills. The team is also so supportive, and is always there to talk to me.”
Speaking more to her club this fall, Lilly recollects that it all began back in the very early phases of the preseason. It proved to be pivotal, because it allowed one of the more youthful lineups in the stacked SCC to thrive as a cohesive unit quicker.
“We started playing together in July, and we had a young team, but we had great chemistry on the field and we clicked off of it. Our defense made great strides as well, and we just clicked out there,” Lilly says. “We spent a ton of time together, and we also had a lot of girls having played together for a long time.”
In her final reflections on her tenure with the Tigers and being a big role within the program, Lilly explains that while she is certainly melancholy to see it all conclude for her, she counteracts that with her gratitude for her peers and mentors.
“This team has been a family every year, and it was so sad to see the year end, because we spent so much time together,” says Lilly. “My teammates were so supportive of me, and so were my coaches.”
Hand girls’ soccer Head Coach Rob McConville notes that Lilly never takes a step or play off when it comes to any form of competition, while simultaneously establishing herself as an iron woman on the pitch.
“Lilly is one of the most competitive players I have ever coached. Even during practice, Lilly wants to win every time there is an opportunity to compete,” says McConville. “For the past three years, Lilly has been a fixture on the outside left midfield, covering the entire field on offense and defense. She doesn't seem to ever get tired, and she works so hard on both offense and defense.”
He tacked on in his praise of Lilly not only her leadership qualities, but also the fact that several of his conference coaching colleagues noted how they had to rack their brains and stretch their defensive personnel just to even attempt to contain her.
“At the completion of the season, several coaches told me that a big part of their game plan was to make sure that a player or two was always marking Lilly. That says a great deal about a player when you cause your opponents to play differently just to deal with your ability,” says McConville. “Lilly was a true leader for us this year as one of our captains. She was always getting our players ready, whether it was practice or a game. I can't say enough about how impactful she has been. We will certainly miss her presence in our program going forward.”
From being both a scholar and a competitor, Lilly has learned the fact that progress is always evolving, and no one person in any single profession or skill is always complete in their quest to attain perfection–evoking a true joy of life.
“The biggest thing I have learned is that success is not linear,” says Lilly. “You grow as a team and individually. I also learned that you can have a bad game and then put it behind you, but then it helps get you more mentally tough.”