Hailing from Pittsburgh, Penn., Co-Captain Molly Katarincic ’18 only began playing soccer two years ago, after she was approached by Head Coach Lisa Joel to be the second goalie for Andover Girls Soccer. Katarincic quickly became a leader on the team, earning her the title of co-captain as a Senior.
According to Katarincic, she converted from field hockey to soccer because of the tight-knit bonds that players on the team develop.
Katarincic said, “Obviously GVS has a reputation on campus for just being a super fun, close group of girls and that’s something I wanted to be a part of… Everybody on the team is so excited to be there and to be playing soccer that it’s just a fun environment to be in.”
“I decided to do it and it was definitely an awesome decision, but it’s definitely weird not having some of the technical soccer background all the other players have and that’s something I struggle with sometimes, but I am definitely super happy I made the switch,” added Katarincic.
While Katarincic may not have the same extensive background in soccer as many of the other players, she is a force both on and off the field, according to Bella DiBenedetto ’20.
DiBenedetto said, “Molly is the spirit animal of the team. She embodies so many great qualities a captain should show. Whether it is on or off the field, she will be there for you and take care of you. She is always cheering which brightens everyone’s day. She’s definitely a great captain and role model to have on the team.”
Maddy Silveira ’20 added, “I can always hear Molly cheering from way up at striker. She never loses her optimistic attitude.”
According to Katarincic, she and the other co-captains work well together because they balance each other’s strengths.
Katarincic said, “Since I don’t have the technical soccer knowledge that [Co-Captain] Krys [Swain ’18] and [Co-Captain] Tookie [Wilson ’18] and the rest of the Seniors have, I kind of assume the role of getting everyone hyped for the games and getting everyone excited and getting people to laugh and that’s something I really enjoy doing, kind of coordinating the fun part of the team.”
“What’s really cool is that Tookie, Krys, and I balance each other really well and where I lack in my skill, I bring in fun and they bring in loving and nurturing the team and really leading on the field,” continued Katarincic.
Though the team lost many Seniors last year, Katarincic believes that all of the new talent on the field will allow the team to reach its goals, and she looks forward to continuing to lead her teammates along the way.
Katarincic said, “Who doesn’t want to win a New England Championship? We definitely want to win the New England Championship. Also, winning Andover-Exeter is a big goal for us. Really, just learning to play together. We have a lot of young girls on the team this year who are all really talented and if we can learn to put all our talent together, we’ll be really strong.”
