Wagner, Crusaders host Bucknell for week seven

Over the last three seasons, senior goalkeeper Mackenzie Wagner has protected the net for the Holy Cross women’s soccer team. In her first three seasons, Wagner has played in three games, facing 17 shots, making five saves, for a total of 68 minutes of action. This season she started all three of her appearances with a career high 10 saves and 270 minutes in goal for the Crusaders.

The senior committed to Holy Cross as a junior in high school after falling in love with the team, campus and academics on her official visit. Wagner had been in contact with the coaching staff, prior to accepting the offer, with the coaches attending some of her club games and showing lots of interest in the young goalkeeper. After weighing her options she knew Holy Cross was the place for her.

“I chose Holy Cross because of how tight knit the community was. On my official visit, I instantly felt like I was a part of the team. All the girls and coaches were so welcoming and academically it would be a challenge for me. I knew that coming out of Holy Cross I'd have a lot of connections and be able to succeed in life,” said Wagner. “The recruiting process was very easy. All athletes have to go through that process, which is a very stressful process. But Holy Cross was very easy work with and talk to the coaches. So all around it was an easy process to be recruited here.”

Wagner and the rest of the senior class had a tough freshman season due to the COVID-19 pandemic cancelling the fall season. Despite the adversity of the fall semester, the team came out the other side of the pandemic closer and stronger as a unit.

“I'm more local than a lot of girls, so in the fall we didn't have classes on campus but a small group of girls were able to train in the fall, and I was fortunately able to travel back and forth to make those practices. Not only did that help, but we did come to campus in the spring and got to work,” Wagner said. “I think that COVID brought us together, especially my class because we constantly, were just only with each other because those were the only people that we could have been with. It definitely was not easy but, it was helpful that I was able to connect with my teammates and my coaches. It definitely was a learning experience and I definitely grew from it. It helped sculpt me into the person that I am today.”

 Over the past three years, the culture has changed and grown in a positive direction for the Crusaders. Wagner has witness and taken part in the difference with this seasons culture focusing on closeness and trust. As student athletes there is constant pressure and stress put on the player, so mental health has become a focus for the squad. Each member of the team looks out for one another to make sure everyone is taking their care of their mental health.

“The culture is built around the closeness we have with each other. This team is the most positive we have been which shows the growth and the maturity of the group. Everyone is usually on the same page and able to help each other out if they're struggling. Mental health has been a huge part of our team and everyone has each other's backs. The culture is amazing this year,” said Wagner. "Mental health in student athletes is becoming larger topic of conversation with much more importance. And I think that Holy Cross does a great job talking about mental health and making sure that the student athletes have the right mindset and headspace. As a team, if we see anyone struggling or if anyone seems down or not themselves, multiple people more than just two are one, are able to reach out to each other. The captains and the senior are doing a great job of keeping everyone in the same head space and keeping everyone's noses pointed in the right direction."

Holy Cross is coming off a strong defensive week after coming to a 0-0 draw with both Army on Wednesday Sept. 20 and American on Sunday Sept. 24. Junior goalkeeper Julia Walsh played both game in net for the Crusaders tallying four saves and adding two more clean sheets to three game shutout streak. Due to her efforts she was awarded the Hilton Garden Inn Crusader of the Week award. 

“We lost our first conference game but that's necessarily a bad thing. We still worked hard. We obviously need to raise the level a bit, but I think it's okay to start off here because we have so much time to make up for that,” Adams said. “We could have competed more for the first and second balls, especially in the air. That is something that we're really good at, but we lacked in the game on Saturday. We also need to work on defending set pieces because we've been letting up goals on corners or set pieces a lot and that something that is very controllable.”

"Two draws means we got two points, so that's great. I think that the morale of the team is only going up because of this, and even after like a loss after Lafayette, the morale was still high," said Wagner. “We just really need to start finishing, which I can see coming soon. We're gaining strength and more confidence up top as we have a lot of strength and confidence in the back.”

Wagner has high expectations for the rest of the season moving forward. The goal is to get to the post season and play hard for the Patriot League Championship. 

“Our team has been through a lot the over the past four years. Coming into this season everyone was a lot more comfortable than they had been, a lot less stressed. We really were focusing on our fitness which has been amazing this year. Because of everything that we've been through, we have come so close in the past, that this season just feels so different than any other season," Wagner said.  “This is my last season here so it's great to to feel that closeness and comfort of being on a team. We haven't had great seasons in the past, but this season just feels completely different. Everyone's so much more confident within themselves as well as their other teammates. So we're excited to win.”

As a leader on the team she has made it her goal to be a positive presence and a person that her teammates felt comfortable going to for anything. No matter if Wagner is on the field or the sidelines she is always there cheering on her teammates and supporting them in their success.

“I'm a very positive person. I like to see people succeed and I will always support all of my teammates with everything that they do. In certain situations, I'm able to be that person for anyone to come to, whether it's one of my closest friends or any teammate. People feel comfortable with coming to me for issues on and off the field,” said Wagner. “It's super important that as a senior I am a role model for all the younger grades. Speaking my opinion and having my voice heard is also very important and helps to encourages my teammates to do the same. Everyone has the chance to feel heard on the team and speak their mind.”

As a goalkeeper she has taken the opportunities she has been given and given it her all. When the addition of Kat Klein as a goalkeeping coach, Wagner has felt her game and her confidence in the net elevate this season.

“This is my last year, so I'm giving everything that I possibly can because I only have so many weeks of soccer left. Soccer has been my life for as long as I can remember so its all or nothing now. Having a goalkeeper coach has also been amazing because she helps a lot, as well as the other assistant coaches, and has been very involved with the goalkeepers,” said Wagner. “I'm just staying true to who I am, being confident in myself and coming to work every single day. The little things have really helped me improve in every aspect of soccer. Sometimes I like to say that I have no thoughts in goal, meaning that once I'm in the game or practice, everything else in my life is out of my mind completely in that moment. Everything that I'm thinking about is solely about soccer. I'm a very communicative person on and off the field. I like to tell my defense what to do. I like to collaborate and combine ideas with my defense and my offense. I also am a goalkeeper who is aggressive and comes off her line. I keep consistency to my playing. I'm a strong goalkeeper and I'm proud of that.”

The Crusaders host Bucknell at Linda Johnson Smith Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 30 at 1 p.m. After two draws with Army and American the team is ready to make adjustments needed for the match ahead.

“Going into Bucknell, our defense is always on their game. Defense and goalkeepers are pretty strong and we're able to connect passes and able to communicate well," said Wagner. "So I think that moving forward we just really have to focus on that finishing piece of the game.”

The Crusaders have been strong all season especially in their back line. The biggest area of weakness has been corners with most of the teams they have faced have converted on set pieces. The senior and her backline have been working hard in practice to adjust accordingly and keep the opposition out of the box.

“The most important aspect of being a goalkeeper is to really know your teammates as players and as people. I have Cer [Cerys Balmer] and Fran [Francesca Ciatto] as my two center mids and Emily [Bubonovich] and Grace [Soltesz] on the outsides, our relationship on the field is very strong. Everyone knows their role, everyone knows what they have to do in a game to succeed defensively,” said Wagner. “On set pieces and corners, it is a stressful moment because it's just a quick couple seconds of organizing where my defense goes. But everyone knows their role, where they have to go, who they have to mark up on a corner. At the end of the day it's really all about trust, trusting that your teammates know their roles. Sometimes things happen that don't go our way, but usually everyone is very strong and trusting of each other that we're gonna be able to get it up the field and out of the 18 yard box."

Wagner first got into playing soccer with her parents coaching her as a kid. At first she didn't like soccer but stuck with it and now couldn't imagine her life without the game. Wagner became a goalkeeper at first because she was taller as a kid so her height gave her an advantage in goal. By sixth grade Wagner began to really enjoy the position and began to take it more seriously. She played for multiple club teams and stepped up her game with the FC Stars and getting the opportunity to work with her goalie coach Matt Davison.

“Everyone usually says that a goalkeeper has to have a little bit crazy, which I definitely agree. Goalkeepers are unique people on and off the field. They have their quirks to them, and obviously I'm getting in goal to get pelted with balls, throw my body across the goal. I just love the thrill of being a goalkeeper. There are captains and leaders, but the goalkeeper is the number one person on the field because we see the whole field," said Wagner. “We're able to use our hands, our feet, our bodies, everything. I really liked the aspect of like knowing my team and being that person that they can count on that if anything goes wrong on defense, they can count on me and trust me to be that last line of defense.”

The one piece of advise she would give her freshman year self or any incoming first year would be to take care of your mental health as much as your physical health and matain a good balance between sports and academics.

“If you feel like you're struggling, there's never a time where you should hide that. It only brings you closer to not only your teammates, but your coaches," Wagner said. “Also just stay focused on school and enjoying your time here. Gain close relationships with professors, teammates, friends, outside of soccer, coaches and family.”

A psychology major, Wagner hopes to pursue a career in human resources. She hopes to be a part of a company that works as a team in a safe and comfortable work environment. As she has been a part of the women's soccer at Holy Cross she wants to continue working in a team in the work force once she graduates.

'SADER SHORTS

• The Crusaders stand 6-24-2 against Bucknell all-time dating back to 1991

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