In Play(er) of the Week, our goal is to highlight outstanding athletes or moments from games that deserve extra attention.

Katie O’Connell is a captain and midfielder/forward on the Wesleyan women’s soccer team from North Kingstown, R.I. In the Cardinals’ season-opening 7–0 victory over the University of Mount Saint Vincent (CMSV) on Saturday, Sept. 7, O’Connell had herself a stellar day, recording one goal and three assists to three different Cardinals. With this performance, she set the team record for the most assists in a single game. Since then, O’Connell has continued to perform at the top of her game. She racked up three goals across three consecutive matchups, scoring against No. 9 Middlebury, Western Connecticut State University, and No. 22 Tufts. She also recorded an assist in the Cards’ tie with Middlebury on Sunday, Sept. 22. O’Connell currently ranks second in the NESCAC in shots, shots on goal, and points. The Argus sat down with O’Connell to discuss playing under pressure, pregame meditation, and her record-breaking performance.

The Argus: When did you first start playing soccer?

Katie O’Connell: Probably when I was five years old.

A: And what made you fall in love with the sport?

KO: It’s been around my family for a really long time. All my uncles and cousins have played. So I started from a young age, and I knew I loved it since then.

A: And when did you know you wanted to play soccer in college?

KO: Probably around the beginning of high school. I played three sports, but soccer was my favorite. The first two years, we were not very good. My freshman year, we were 1–14. But my dad was actually the coach for my last two years, and we started to be more successful after that.

A: And what was the recruiting process like for you, and why did you ultimately choose Wesleyan?

KO: I looked at a lot of NESCAC schools and some other DI schools. But academics were a priority for me, and Wesleyan has a great balance of high-level academics and also competitive athletics in the NESCAC.

A: What makes Wesleyan soccer unique from other teams?

KO: I would say our team culture. For the last four years, we’ve been so close, and even with new players every year, we always find the same culture.

A: How do you think you’ve changed as a player from freshman year until now?

KO: I’ve grown to be a lot more physical. I was pretty scrawny freshman and sophomore year, so hitting the weight room has really helped me level up against strong competition.

A: What has been a moment for you this season that has stood out?

KO: Our game against CMSV, because we won 7–0 with seven different goalscorers, and I think that was a real preview to the depth and success we have with our younger players for the rest of the season. And it was also against our previous assistant coach, so it made the victory better.

A: And you set the team record for assists in that match. How did that feel?

KO: That was really exciting. Obviously, assists are necessary for goals to be scored, but it was good to get other players involved, having three different people on the end of my assists.

A: You’ve had big goals and big moments this season. How do you manage the pressure of those moments well enough to be able to convert?

KO: I play better after pressure, and obviously after one goal, you gain more confidence, and with that, it becomes easier to keep finding the back of the net. So rolling with the success has helped me go through it.

A: You guys are currently fourth in the NESCAC and are undefeated. How does being undefeated feel, and does that create more pressure for the team headed into the rest of the season?

KO: We’ve had a lot of games where we’re the underdogs, and being undefeated has now flourished us into the team to beat. So every team is bringing their best efforts to beat us. So that definitely adds a level of pressure, but I think so far we’ve done a great job dealing with that, and using it in our favor to know that we are a top level team that everyone else is trying to beat. 

A: How did it feel to get ranked this past week?

KO: I think it was a long time coming. I think we were due for a ranking, especially with teams that we had beaten and tied so high in the rankings, and it definitely brought us a different level of confidence. 

A: And then lastly, do you have any superstitions or traditions before a game?

KO: I always meditate for five minutes. I usually leave the locker room and put my headphones on.

This article has been edited for length and clarity. 

Georgia Adams can be reached at gadams@wesleyan.edu. 

Erin Byerly can be reached at ebyerly@wesleyan.edu.

Audrey Nelson can be reached aanelson@wesleyan.edu.