George Mason alumna Olivia Scott and her soccer team, Messiah College, have won the collegiate Division III championship. Olivia graduated last year in 2008 and helped bring the George Mason varsity soccer to win District, Region, and State Championships. During that season she was named First Team All State as well as District and Region B player of the year.
Jennifer Parsons, a chemistry teacher here at Mason and the George Mason girls varsity soccer coach, attended the quarterfinal game. “It was exciting and really cold,” she says, “The day after the game they had to clear the snow off the field so the players could practice. They played against their rivals Eastern College for their place among the final four, the rivalry was intense; its much like the rivalry here between George Mason and Clarke County so it was really exciting. Olivia played hard and even had an assist. It was a big deal.”
Olivia Scott and her team went on to win the rest of the games and the Championship title. “Olivia played in both those games as well,” says Ms. Parsons.
This success story is even more monumental when the difficulty of transition between high school and collegiate soccer is taken into consideration. “Collegiate soccer is a lot different than high school; it’s a faster, more physical game with smaller margins for error and consequences for mistakes,” says Ms. Parsons who played collegiate soccer at VCU. Not only did Olivia transition to a higher level of competition, but she also changed positions on the field. “She played midfield throughout most of last season [at Mason] and didn’t begin playing forward until States last year and she has continued playing forward with Messiah,” says Ms. Parsons.
“Olivia and her team are having an awesome season. The team is 23-0-2 and Olivia has had 9 goals and 2 assists. She has played in all 25 games and has started in four of them; which is a pretty huge deal for a freshman. I’m really proud of her,” says Ms. Parsons.
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