The Hopkins women’s soccer team is off to a hot 9-0 start, earning themselves the honor of 2nd overall in the nation for Division III soccer. They have already taken down the No, 1 team, Messiah, in a 2-1 victory and have collected two Centennial Conference victories. A big part of these wins has been senior Pamela Vranis, who scored three goals this past week, including two against Muhlenberg. After coming back from a season-ending injury last year, Vranis was named the Centennial Conference Player of the Week and The News-Letter Athlete of the Week.
The News-Letter: You guys have started off the season 9-0 and have beaten several top ranked teams. How much confidence does that give the team looking forward to the remainder of the season?
Pamela Vranis: It gives us a lot of confidence, but also a lot of hope, especially after beating Messiah. It gave us a lot of strength and belief that we have the potential in becoming a great team.
N-L: You were out most of last season with an injury, Could you explain what happened and your rehab for it?
PV: I tore my ACL last year in the 4th game of the season. My rehab was 6 - 9 months of strengthening and getting back in shape. It was hard to miss out on a season and to go through a surgery but it also has made me appreciate playing every day that much more. I was eager to come back for this season.
N-L: After coming off that injury and starting the season the way you have, how does that feel?
PV: It feels great! Very rewarding. After a year that seemed endless, it feels really good to just be able to play a sport I love and to play it with such highly motivated players around me.
N-L: What are your personal goals and the team’s goals for the rest of the season?
PV: For my personal goals — I want to feel comfortable with playing again, keeping fit and managing to stay healthy! As for the team goals, we want to continue building good team unity, earn another Conference Championship and of course, getting into the Final Four.
N-L: What big games do you have coming up and how are you guys preparing for them?
PV: Swarthmore is our big game on Saturday night — they're a strong team; we have to take everyone seriously and keep playing our style of game. We're keeping fit this week and working on specific things we need to improve on defensively and offensively. We've got a lot of tough away games so staying focused while on the road will be important for us.
N-L: Do you think the team is playing better now than it did the past three years you’ve been at Hopkins?
PV: This team is different than the past three years. Each year, we've become more fit, more skilled and more united as a group. I think any team can have fitness and skill-- it is our strong team bond this year that will make the difference for us going forward into the rest of the season.
