Looking back at the girls’ soccer season, one player in particular really found her place on the field. Senior captain Amanda Cassidy was a finalist for The Minnesota High School Soccer Coaches Association Ms. Soccer Award.

Cassidy has always seen this award as a goal. “Being a Ms. Soccer finalist was definitely a goal for me. I saw some amazing players in the past be nominated, and I was hoping to do the same,” Cassidy said

Accomplishing this goal was not an easy thing for Cassidy.  “I am very dedicated and determined to do well in many things that I do… I always want to be the best that I can be, and I can only do that by working hard and improving,” Cassidy said.

Cassidy’s efforts on the field don’t go unnoticed. Many underclassmen look up to Cassidy because of leadership and her focused mindset. “She’s a well-rounded and smart player. She is competitive and smart, and pushes all of us to be the best we can be,” sophomore Sophie Coleman said.   

Cassidy credits her competitive determination and dedicated nature to professional soccer player Carli Lloyd, who was FIFA Player of the year in 2016, 2015 FIFA Gold Ball winner, and who scored both winning goals for the U.S in the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. “She inspires me because when she wasn’t getting what she wanted out of soccer she worked extremely hard to improve so that she could prove to herself and others that she was a great soccer player. She ended up being an essential player on the US women’s soccer team, and I always hope to have the work ethic and determination that she had/has,” Cassidy said.

Due to her hard work, Cassidy has committed to play D1 soccer at Loyola University in Chicago where she will further her education and soccer career. “I love the school, the city, the soccer program, and the coaches. It was a perfect match for me,” Cassidy said.