Mt. Pleasant native soccer player's senior season steeped in success
For nearly all of her life, Lauren Fearer, 21, of Mt. Pleasant Township, has been playing soccer.
"I have played soccer since I was four years old, so it's pretty much been the biggest part of my life for 17 years," Fearer said.
Fearer recently completed her senior season playing for the St. Francis (Pa.) University women's soccer team. As the starting goalkeeper, she helped the Red Flash win the Northeast Conference championship.
The season came to an end for the Red Flash when they dropped a 1-0 decision to Ohio State in double overtime in the first round of the NCAA tournament. But that loss did little to diminish the success Fearer and St. Francis (15-5-2) enjoyed.
"This year has been such a blessing and it hasn't been the prettiest road to winning an NEC championship, but I am so thankful it happened my last year because this is how I want to always remember soccer," Fearer said. "It's hard to pick one thing that I like about soccer, and it's just come to the point in time where I couldn't imagine my life without it. I feel like it makes me who I am."
Growing up, Fearer played traveling soccer for Penn's Forest, helping the team win a number of championships. Fearer credits her skill and drive today to the experience and exposure that she received while playing for the traveling team.
"I played club soccer for Penn's Forest from age 11-17," Fearer said. "This is what I devoted all my time to, and I really credit this program for my success at the collegiate level. We did so much traveling and played teams that were very talented and skilled, and that just really prepared me for college athletics."
An athlete at heart, Fearer also played other sports over the years, but because of a demanding schedule she had to chose one sport to focus on. Her choice was soccer.
"I loved all kinds of sports and when I was a lot younger I did it all, but when there came a point that I had to choose, I chose soccer and stuck with that," Fearer said.
As a goalie, Fearer has found the position both rewarding and challenging. She understands that her decisions and actions can be a determining factor in the outcome of many games, and she alone can define if the team leaves the field the winner or the loser.
"I started playing goalie when I was 11 or 12, and the thing I like about the position is that you can see everything that happens on the field," Fearer said. "You need to be a very vocal person and a leader on the field, and I definitely think I fit those two characteristics."
In her senior season, Fearer posted an of 11-3-2 record with a 0.74 goals against average and a .882 save percentage.
"The thing that is most challenging about the position is the fact that every single game, you have the chance to make or break the game," Fearer said. "When you make beautiful saves, everyone loves you, but it doesn't really work the same way when you make a mistake. As a goalkeeper, there is definitely very little room for error."
Entering college on a combined athletic and academic scholarship, Fearer knows the determination that it takes to excel both on the field and in the classroom, and although she finds the time factor an issue at times, the senior successfully manages her tasks at hand.
"Combining athletes and academics is definitely the hardest thing about playing a sport in college," Fearer said. "Once you get into the swing of things, you learn to schedule your classes so you have time to get things done. It really is all about time management."
