Edgar Ayala – Sports Writer
Sophomore Vicky Conde of the women’s soccer team bagged her first Northeast-10 Player of the Week and SCSU Athlete of the Week awards from her performance against Merrimack College on Oct. 17.
In the game against Merrimack, Conde had a brace that included a game-winning 88th minute goal, and as a result gave the Owls a 2-1 win over the Warriors.
Conde’s efforts on the field have led her to achieve team-highs in goals, shots and points. She hit the back of the net five times this year, and recorded three in her last two games.
“I usually don’t score goals,” said the midfielder. “I’m the player that likes helping the team score goals by assisting. There’s a lot of killers on the team, so I like assisting my teammates.”
Through the first games of the season Conde was playing as a winger, but is now adjusting into a more central position. She said her new role as an attacking midfielder suits her better for her style of play.
“It’s definitely helping me find the ball more,” said Conde. “I’m not fast. I played five games on one of the wings, so I’m not that player that’s going to sprint down the wing with the ball.”
Coach Adam Cohen said he is proud of what Conde had accomplished in a week, and added that she is always going to do whatever it takes to help the team win.
“She constantly puts herself in a position to help the team and program,” Coach Cohen said. “She takes a lot of pride in trying to make a difference for her teammates, which is exactly what she’s been doing.”
Conde, a triplet of one brother and sister, transferred from the University of Alcala, located in Madrid, Spain.
From her time in Spain, Conde played for the women’s Rayo Vallecano, a Spanish club who currently play in the first division of Spanish soccer. She also managed to be a five-time Spanish National Champion and trained for the “Under-17” of the Spanish National Team.
When Conde chose to come to America last summer, she said the big reason was to have the chance to attend and graduate from a university in the U.S. and improve her English.
According to Conde, prior to coming to the states, she only knew basic high school English. Upon arriving to Southern, she said her teammates used to joke with her accent and pronunciation.
“They were patient with me,” Conde said on her teammates helping her settle in. “At the beginning I didn’t know much English, and on the field it was harder for them to explain things in practice. But after all the jokes, I just learned English.”
Despite English being a challenge for Conde, she noted that American soccer players are physically fitter and stronger to the players of her hometown in Alcala de Henares, but said Coach Cohen helped her adjust into American soccer.
Cohen noted Conde’s consistency in training and added that she didn’t have a problem when she decided to move across the Atlantic Ocean.
“I knew Vicky was going to do very well socially within the team. Also I knew she was going to do very well academically, because she’s very intelligent and a very hard worker,” said Cohen.
Conde now has her eyes set on Bentley University, as she looks to finish the season strong in the Owls’ final game of the season on Halloween day.
Photo Credit: SCSU Athletic Communications
