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Getting to Know: Swanson, Heiligenstein, Rief!

Another Year, Another Journey

Natalie Kuhlenberg #8

AHHH! It really seems like just yesterday that I was a freshman. They say that your high school and college years will pass you by, well they are FLYYINNG BY!! I never would have expected college to turn out the way it did for me. I was just excited to be able to play with my fellow Incarnate weirdoes Teeny, Molly, and Jodi.  Being a freshman, in 2011, we made it to the semifinals of the GLVC where we knocked off NKU which was such an amazing moment for us. Then making it to the finals and just losing in shoot outs! The GLVC Championship was so close we could taste it and I never thought I would be a part of something so amazing. Then we made our sixth appearance in the NCAA tournament which was an awesome opportunity as well. However, it was on to the next year 2012, my sophomore year. Coming into the season I could tell during the summer everyone put in their best efforts to train, because everyone was hungry for our season and wanted to make it back to the championship round and win. As always though, it was just looking at THE NEXT GAME. However, the season ended short for me as I tore my ACL in one of our pre-season games just the game after Sam Martinez one of our seniors had torn hers. As I was upset for maybe a day, I remember I was about to be walking into the locker room and Dave pulled me aside to tell me that I was going to be okay and I need to be strong for the team! And that’s what I did. Even though I was not on the field you can bet I was there on the sidelines cheering my team on and it was incredible to watch our team get the GLVC Championship my sophomore year. We got to host because of our awesome season. WE FINALLY GOT THE CHANCE. This team battled our way to get there. And even had another appearance in the NCAA game, hosting, in the Tsunami rain our team kept plugging away.

Next thing you know it, it was my junior year. Coming off an ACL injury I knew I had to work extra hard during the summer. Our team was hungry yet again for our season and wanted to get back to that GLVC finals round again. This next season, my junior year 2013, we made history! My sister was actually a freshmen this past season and so amazing to have her experience this with me!  Thanks to our amazing seniors and the strength of this team we went out with a BANG. Another amazing moment in my life that I cannot thank this team enough for, and I was able to be apart on and off the field. Another bonus was that we made it to the NCAA sweet 16 to have a match up with Grand Valley. In the blistering cold we battled and although calls didn’t maybe go our way and injuries had happened, we kept pushing through it. To say we made it to that round of the tournament was so awesome and we will work our hardest to get there again.

Now finally I can get to this upcoming season! Sorry for the long history post! Technically I am still a junior in soccer. Everyone loves to remind me. However, I am going to treat it as if I don’t have another season left! As it is the beginning of July we have had a couple months already to train. I can see everyone working hard with our off season workouts, doing those fitness tests, and strengthening our bodies to prevent injuries!  In our summer league games, I can see everyone being put in different positions, but it is nice to see that our team is going to be able to be versatile. I can still see that same fire that we have had the past three seasons and I cannot wait to get after it in August. We lost 7 amazing seniors and are now gaining some great incoming freshmen. It may be a year where people are being put in different positions to figure everything out, but there is one thing that will be there, our hunger. I know that as seniors (yes I am calling myself that) and the juniors and now sophomores we have that determination to get back to that championship round! I have never been with a team that has worked well together no matter what and has supported each other in every way. I am excited to see new faces and have them be a part of this amazing experience I have had the honor to be a part of.  As always this season will be a grind especially when we have such a big target on our backs. But we will come together as a team and will find a way to win. Just need to keep focusing on that next game and we will get there. I have a favorite quote that pertains to our team “The harder the struggle, the glorious the triumph”. This will always be in the back of my mind each pre-season test we take, and season tests we will face as well. Our team will find a way to grind through it and I cannot wait for this upcoming season! So stay tuned for another amazing season and come support the Lady Hawks!

Natalie Kuhlenberg (Kuhls)
Senior (redshirt junior) Lady Hawk