This past weekend, the Hopkins Women’s Soccer team competed in the Carnegie Mellon Tournament in Pittsburgh, Pa., facing off against non-conference opponents Wittenberg University and Earlham College. By Sunday afternoon, the Lady Jays went home brandishing a 4-1 record, having won both games in the tourney.
The unanimous MVP of the games was junior forward Paulina Goodman, who scored two goals in each of the two games. Her four goals make her the team leader going into Saturday’s game versus Washington and most impressively, all four goals were scored on just four shot attempts. For her outstanding play, the Centennial Conference recognized Goodman as last week's Offensive Player of the Week.
Goodman, a junior, has played for two very successful Hopkins Women’s Soccer teams. Unfortunately, she has suffered injuries that truncated her playing time in both seasons. Her freshman year, when the team reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the first time, Goodman played in 19 games and started 10, scoring three goals with one assist. Last year, when the team went one round further, reaching the NCAA Elite Eight for the first time, Goodman played in 12 games, starting one, and scored two goals with one assist.
This season, however, Paulina is healthy, and her stellar play has already resulted in four goals scored in five games played and two started — Sunday against Earlham and Wednesday against Stevenson. As a forward without a defined starting role, Paulina knows that when she is on the field, her job is to score goals.
“When you have a team of so many good players, you know that you'll need to play your best and hardest when you get out on the field,” Goodman said. “If you can maintain that mentality through every game you can only hope that the coach and the rest of the team sees it too.”
Paulina, an applied math and statistics major, estimates that she has been playing soccer for 13 years. She played for the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) recreationally and joined a club soccer team three years before college. Goodman also played soccer for her high school team in California, an interesting experience in and of itself.
“My high school soccer team was pretty terrible,” Goodman said. “We had girls playing varsity who had never touched a soccer ball before. I loved my team though, and I had fun teaching a lot of the girls about the game.”
Soccer is not the only sport Goodman has played, though, as she participated in many other sports in high school, including playing for her high school football team.
“In high school I played soccer, ran track (sprints), and in my senior year I was one of three kickers for our boys' football team,” Goodman said. “I only got a few opportunities to go out there, but I made an extra point once and it was one of the highlights of my life. “
In addition, Paulina was a two-sport varsity athlete during her freshman year here at Hopkins, combining soccer with running for the track team.
“I ran track for Hopkins my freshman year and enjoyed it, but missed off-season soccer too much to keep running,” she said.
With her focus devoted to the soccer team now, Goodman is looking forward to the rest of this season and working with her teammates.
“We're really excited about this year's team,” Goodman said. “It's a really talented team with lots of different types of players so we don't see a limit to our potential. I really look up to our captains because they do a nice job getting us pumped up to go out there and play our best. In general I look up to all the players that play with heart — that's something that can't be learned. It's obvious when someone is truly giving their all for the team and it's very admirable.”
Goodman has also been impressed by the impact and remarkable potential of the freshmen players on the team.
“They're a talented class and are fitting in nicely and learning the way we play very quickly,” Goodman said. “I've talked to the girls that play up top about how I like to play, but otherwise they've figured our game out themselves!”
As a player, Paulina craves the struggle involved in winning a hard-fought game.
“I've loved the games where we've really had to work hard, stay totally focused, and play as a team . . . and then come out of it with a win,” Goodman said. “For me, those games are the most fun and rewarding because we always have the potential to win, but proving that we can is awesome.”
When asked which games she has circled on her calendar, Paulina said she is anxious to face the more challenging teams on the schedule.
“I'm looking forward to playing St. Mary's in a few weeks,” Goodman said. “I remember playing them as a freshman and it was one of the most challenging games I had ever played in my life. Swarthmore and Dickinson will be two competitive conference games. Towards the end of our schedule we play The College of New Jersey. We beat them for the first time ever when I was a freshman, and our match last year got cancelled, so I'm definitely looking forward to beating them again this year.”
Goodman’s four-goal performance at the Carnegie Mellon Tournament this past weekend was extra-special as her fraternal twin brother was there to watch.
“My brother came out to the tournament this weekend from California and saw me score my four goals. Everyone thinks he should come more often!”
All in all, Paulina has high aspirations for the team this year, and acknowledges a tough road ahead.
“We want to be the national champs this year and know we can do it, but we also know it will take work to get there.”
She would not have it any other way.
