Pair of underclassmen form leadership for women’s soccer
Underclassmen Cristin Granados and Courtney Conrad are first and second on the team in scoring, respectively, and have completely flipped the VCU script by turning the season on its axis and upside down.
Sophomore Courtney Conrad scores the game's lone goal in VCU's win over the conference's top team, William & Mary. Photo by Kyle Laferriere.
Jim Swing
Sports Editor
Commonwealth Times’ Sports Twitter
When it comes to experience, the VCU women’s soccer team is nearly split right down the middle.
On the 29-woman roster, there are 15 upperclassmen and 14 underclassmen – what some coaches would call a perfect balance of youth and experience.
It would only be natural for the upperclassmen to be the leaders on the team, but that’s not the way it’s been as of late.
Underclassmen Cristin Granados (freshman) and Courtney Conrad (sophomore) are first and second on the team in scoring, respectively, and have completely flipped the VCU script by turning the season on its axis and upside down.
The emerging duo combined for five points over the last two games and shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Conrad will tell you it’s been a group effort, but there’s no doubt she’s been a prime agent of change.
“I think it’s more of a team, and I think we know how important all these games have been,” she said through a translator. “Coming up the last few games of conference and we’re hitting our stride and getting comfortable with our attack.”
And much like the team as a whole, Conrad is hitting her stride with exemplary timing. In a win over previously undefeated William & Mary, Conrad netted the game’s lone goal to help VCU lock up a spot in the CAA Tournament for the first time since 2007.
Her play earned her CAA Co-Player of the Week alongside Hofstra’s Emily Morphitis.
“She’s a beast up top for us because she’s invested physically. She’ll go into any tackle,” said co-head coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak. “She’s kind of like that hardcore gamer that’s going to fight for any ball, so we love that attitude that she has.”
If Conrad is a pugnacious bruiser, then Granados is a textbook-devoted technique freak. Her two goals against Old Dominion lassoed in her third CAA Rookie of the Week honor.
Granados has been the anchoring spark plug in the reformation of an offense that produced just nine goals in its first 11 games before scoring 12 in the past seven.
“What she does for this team is she settles the ball down. She’s tactically, technically so good.” Sahaydak said. “I know that her experience on the national level helps us, helps her teammates around her to think quicker, so she’s great for that.”
Much like Conrad, Granados attributes her success to the help of her team.
“I just worked with the team,” Granados said, “and without my teammates I wouldn’t be able to accomplish everything I have.”
Between the pipes, goalkeeper Kristin Carden can only look on from almost a full field away, but the scoring epidemic being created by the duo has been like looking through a magnifying glass.
“They’re stepping up offensively for us, being leaders, putting the ball in the back of the net when we need to.” Carden said. “They’ve had some huge moments in the past few weeks, and we’re very fortunate to have them.”