Caroline Staudle balances being leading goal scorer and model student

Michael Apotria – Special to the Southern News

Senior forward and leading goal scorer for Southern’s women’s soccer team, Caroline Staudle, said her final collegiate season for soccer is giving her extra motivation to cement her mark for the Owls.  

“It was a huge motivation to prepare in the offseason,” Staudle said. “I knew this year would be my last chance to play competitively and have a chance to compete for a championship.”

Staudle, the senior out of New Windsor, N.Y., has played all four years of her athletic collegiate career for the Owls, but said there is something about this year’s team that separates this season from the previous seasons she has played on.

“I think it’s the motivation to win and achieve our goals,” said Staudle. “We have had great talent in previous years, but this year we are really starting to string things together on the field, I think that’s something that has been missing.”

The Owls strung everything together in their Sept. 20 game, when Southern defeated Pace University 2-1, in which Staudle scored the crucial goal three minutes into overtime to give Staudle her fourth goal of the season.

With the overtime goal against Pace and Saturday’s 2-1 win over Franklin Pierce, Staudle leads the Owls in goals (4), points (8), shots (19) and shots at goal (10).  

That game had some added importance for the Owls, said Adam Cohen, head coach of SCSU’s women’s soccer team.

“To be honest, we were really looking to give Caroline some rest because she played the whole game straight through,” said Cohen. “We talked it over on the sidelines and decided to keep her in the game. Caroline is an extremely hard worker and a clutch performer, when you need a goal she’s going to find it.”

Staudle is an asset and a role model on the soccer field, said Cohen. He added she is also a model student and a prime example in academics.

“She’s a 4.0 student that’s graduating a semester early in the business program,” Cohen said. “You can’t help but respect someone who works like that.”

Staudle, a marketing major, said she would be attending the University of New Haven for graduate school this spring for her MBA, with concentration on sports management.

“I know I want to keep sports in my life, I’m not ready to give them up,” Staudle said.

Aside from excelling on the field and in the classroom, Staudle has also been an outstanding role model for her teammates, according to her Owls teammate, Meaghan Howard.

“It’s nice having her to look up to,” said Howard. “She is a teammate that you can always count on, on and off the field.”

Howard said Staudle is the type of player any and every team would love to have.

“Caroline is a very dedicated and passionate teammate,” said Howard. “She is always working to do what is best for the program whether it is on or off the field.”

Not only that, but Cohen said Staudle is the type of person willing to sacrifice for her teammates, friends and family.

“She’s willing to run through people and put her body at risk,” said coach Cohen. “She is the type of player that any coach is very grateful to have.”

Staudle said playing soccer in college has taught her more life lessons than she could have thought.

“It taught me time management skills, communication skills, teamwork skills, but most importantly how to make a commitment to set goals and accomplish them,” Staudle said.

With the fall semester passing by, Staudle will soon be looking onto her next venture at grad school, a venture that coach Cohen said she would undoubtedly succeed in.

“Caroline is going to be great at whatever is it in life she wants to do,” Cohen said.  

Photo Courtesy: SCSU Athletic Communications