After suffering season-ending leg injuries in 2008, Owls seniors Maylee Attin-Johnson and Caitlin Dingle will no longer sit on the sidelines.
The return of these two key players could have a big effect on the team’s success.
The A-Sun recently named Attin-Johnson as the Preseason Player-of-the-Year. However, she’s not letting that title put any pressure on her.
“I’m a player. It’s all about the team, and I’m just looking forward to helping my team whether it be an assist or stopping someone from scoring goals,” Attin-Johnson said. “So basically, I don’t really have to score to be effective on the team.”
Dingle, a forward, also had the honor of being named Preseason Player-of-the-Year in 2008. Unfortunately, her season-ending injury came in the first game of the 2008 season.
“Being injured and having to sit on the sidelines is really difficult for anyone. It’s depressing. You really want to get out there and help your team,” Dingle said. “You know it makes you realize how much you really love it, and I think it’s going to make me work harder this year.”
Dingle’s love for soccer began when she was 7 years old. Her brother was already playing soccer, and she wanted to prove to him and her parents that she could do it too. Now her brother no longer plays, and she’s sitting pretty on statistics from her 2007 season, such as 8th in the NCAA in goals per game.
Attin-Johnson’s soccer career began in the Caribbean. She moved to the U.S. from Trinidad and Tobago when she was 18 years old, and she is also proud to be a part of the Trinidad and Tobago international team.
“For me, I just take it as a privilege to be honored and to be selected at any level, college or international. I just go there, have fun, and play the game of soccer,” Attin-Johnson said.
Other than soccer, the Trinidad native enjoys shopping, going to the movies and watching her beloved ESPN. She is a sport management major, and she hopes to coach soccer eventually.
Dingle’s interests reach outside of soccer as well. She will pursue a career in writing with a degree in English and a minor in professional writing.
Although neither of the players say they have recharged 100 percent, Attin-Johnson hopes she will be at the top of her game “before the conference tournament.”
For the fourth straight year, the Owls were named the Regular Season Champions in the A-Sun preseason awards. Dingle and Attin-Johnson hope that this will mean another trip to the NCAA tournament, and a chance to help lead the team to victory in their final season as Owls.