Lehigh seniors reflect on careers

October 27, 2016

BETHLEHEM, Pa. - The Lehigh women's soccer senior class has played a key role in the Mountain Hawks' return to the Patriot League Tournament this season. Through success on the field and in the classroom, this class has served as strong role models for younger teammates. They have been strong contributors to Lehigh University through their strong character, leadership and involvement in the campus community. Together, these four individuals have posted an average GPA of greater than 3.0 and have set up the Mountain Hawks for success this season, and beyond.

Senior Night is set for Friday at 7 p.m. Lehighsports.com caught up with all four seniors in advance of their final regular season home games.

#4 Laura Courtney – Midfielder/Defender – Bolton, Mass. – Finance
17101 Courtney made an immediate impact on the Mountain Hawks, playing in 15 games as a freshman with 12 starts while recording her first-career goal (which came against Bucknell) and an assist. She started 15 games as a sophomore and 16 games as a junior, while continuing to serve as a key member of Lehigh's defensive efforts. Courtney also finished last season second on the Mountain Hawks in points with eight behind three goals and two assists. So far this year, Courtney owns an assist while serving as a key anchor in Lehigh's defense. The Mountain Hawks' defense has impressed throughout her career, which includes allowing just 16 goals in 16 games as a sophomore. So far this year, the Mountain Hawks own 11 shutouts while allowing just 11 goals in 16 games (0.69 per contest). In the classroom, Courtney has tallied a cumulative GPA over 3.0 as a finance major. She has been named to the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll and Faculty Athletics Council Award.

What's your favorite Lehigh women's soccer memory up until this point?
LC: My favorite memory is probably qualifying for the postseason against Bucknell this past weekend. This will be my class's first postseason appearance, so it's so exciting that the team's hard work this season and leading up to it has paid off.

Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
LC: We were actually talking about this the other day, how funny it is how different we are from each other, yet all get along so well. There's really no other way to describe it than to say they're all like my sisters.

Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind?
LC: It's so bittersweet going into my Senior Night. I'm definitely sad that my soccer career is coming to a close, but I wouldn't have wanted to end it any other way and feel so fortunate to have had such a great season with the 23 greatest teammates.

What will you miss about Lehigh women's soccer?
LC: Getting to see my best friends every day.

What are your postgraduate plans?
LC: I will be working at J.P. Morgan in Manhattan, New York.

#6 Tori Pantaleo – Forward – Colts Neck, N.J. – Finance
16978 Pantaleo has enjoyed a breakout senior season. After recording five career points (all as a junior), the Colts Neck, New Jersey native has emerged for a team-leading 16 points behind seven goals and two assists. The 16 points are tied for sixth in the Patriot League while her seven goals are tied for fifth. Just last week, Pantaleo scored a goal in the ninth minute at both Lafayette and Bucknell, while also assisting the Mountain Hawks' second goal in their win over the previously undefeated Bison. Pantaleo was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week for the second time. The first time, she was recognized after scoring two goals against Marist followed by a goal at Mount St. Mary's. In the classroom, Pantaleo has posted a 3.35 GPA as a finance major, earning a spot on the Dean's List last fall while garnering Academic All-Patriot League and Faculty Athletics Council Award recognition multiple times over her career.

What's your favorite Lehigh women's soccer memory up until this point?
TP: I have a lot of great memories and it is incredibly hard to pick just one. We've had such great success this year and this team is full of high spirit and incredible personalities. We started our season off on such a high note with a seven-game win streak. Confidence was high and we all really enjoyed playing together. Beating Bucknell, the undefeated team in our league, is my favorite memory. We played our best half of soccer in the first half of that game. Qualifying for the postseason for the first time in all four years is a really proud feeling of yourself and of your teammates, especially as seniors who have yet to make it this far.

Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
TP: Our senior class has gone through many changes over these four years. We started with seven players and are now down to four. Our class could not be more different. We all have different personalities and enjoy doing different things, but soccer brings us together. We do basically everything together and I would not have made it through college without these girls. From the awkward stages during freshman year to making mature decisions senior year, I could not have asked for a better support system and friendships. I know we will be best of friends for life. I will cherish the memories we have together and look forward to the times we can look back and reminisce together.

Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind?
TP: These past few weeks have been pretty emotional between the four seniors. It's hard to accept that our collegiate careers are nearing the end. Our senior class has never qualified for the tournament and I think it is pretty amazing that we already have before finishing our regular season. This team is special and I am excited to see what these next few weeks will bring.

What will you miss about Lehigh women's soccer?
TP: I will really miss being a part of this team and being a part of something that is so much bigger than yourself. This program has taught me invaluable lessons and has helped me grow as an individual. I will really miss the locker room and our pregame rituals. This year, we have really bonded as a group and I can truly say I have 23 best friends.

What are your postgraduate plans?
TP: No real plans just yet. I would love to work in New York City or maybe join my brother in Austin, Texas.

#7 Kalin Ojert – Forward – Doylestown, Pa. – Environmental Engineering
16126 Ojert has shown tremendous growth over her Lehigh career. Always a strong influence on her teammates, Ojert has seen increased playing time as her career has progressed. After getting into one game as a freshman and two as a sophomore, she played in 11 games as a junior which included her first-career goal at Binghamton. This season, she has played in 14 games and has recorded four shots. Ojert has enjoyed success in the classroom as an environmental engineering major. She has earned the Faculty Athletics Council Award during her career for a semester GPA of 3.2 or higher.

What's your favorite Lehigh women's soccer memory up until this point?
KO: This entire year has been a very enjoyable and rewarding experience, and finally making the postseason for the first time in our careers is so exciting. I would say that upsetting Bucknell and clinching a spot was my favorite moment of LUWS, but I think it goes much deeper than that. We've come so far as a team since I was a freshman and we have put in a lot of work in and really gotten after it, both on the field and off. We have such a great culture now and are such a close-knit group of girls. We have a great mentality going into training and it's been so rewarding to finally see those years of hard work paying off.

Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
KO: We're a very close group, and it's funny because we are all so different, but it just works. I think our differences have allowed us to become successful because we all are consistently bringing something different and beneficial to the table. It's been the ride of a lifetime with these girls. We have great times, on and off the field, and are each other's biggest fans. Laura, Tori and Walshy have been my backbones for the last four years, and I wouldn't trade a single day with them for anything.

Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind?
KO: It's a little surreal of course, but it's just another chance for the team to take care of some business and get three points. As long as we keep winning, we get more games. That's how my mindset has been throughout this season. As long as we keep playing well, we get to keep playing. This way I can delay my retirement a little longer.

What will you miss about Lehigh women's soccer?
KO: These girls. I am so lucky to be on a team with some of the best people I have ever met. LUWS is a family, and I'd honestly be afraid for anyone who ever tried to mess with one of our girls. We always have each other's backs and we support one another relentlessly. We can be brutally honest with each other without any feelings being hurt, which I think has allowed us to have such genuine relationships with one another. This team is always having a great time, and it makes doing the more unenjoyable parts of soccer that much better. The girls on this team have allowed the program to gain the success it has, and I am so lucky to have been a part of it.

What are your postgraduate plans?
KO: I am looking at a few entry level engineering positions as well as applying to grad school.

#15 Madeline Walsh – Defender – Evanston, Ill. – Finance and Marketing
13710 A key contributor throughout her career, Walsh played in 15 games with six starts as a freshman, followed by 16 games with five starts as a sophomore and 18 games with three starts as a junior. Walsh tallied an assist as both a sophomore and junior. So far this season, she's seen action in all 16 games as a key member of Lehigh's back line, which began the season with eight straight shutouts and currently owns 11, allowing just 11 goals over the first 16 this season. Walsh has made her mark beyond athletics as she is heavily involved within the Lehigh Athletics community, serving as co-captain for Student-Athlete Council.

What's your favorite Lehigh women's soccer memory up until this point?
MW: My favorite Lehigh women's soccer memory up until this point is upsetting Bucknell last weekend and clinching a postseason spot. This is the first time that my class has ever experienced a postseason and I am so amped to be a part of a team that works for each other, unselfishly, everyday and wants to continue to succeed.

Describe the relationship with your fellow seniors.
MW: My relationship with my fellow seniors is something that cannot be replicated. Our class has pioneered the culture change for our team and each one of us (originally seven) played a part in re-structuring the team to be what it is today. We come from a class with a lot of personality which always kept things interesting and kept everyone on their toes, but was also the part that was most fun about being around them all the time… never a dull moment! These women are my best friends and I am forever grateful for their love and support throughout this journey and I look forward to seeing what the future holds.

Describe the feeling going into Senior Night. What are some of the thoughts going through your mind?
MW: My feelings going into Senior Night are all over the board. I am so incredibly grateful to Lehigh for giving me the opportunity to continue my soccer career and compete at the collegiate level. I am sad because this team means more to me than words can express and I cannot believe that it is coming to a close so quickly. I am excited because I have never celebrated a Senior Night before and I also know that this will not be my last game in a Lehigh uniform.

What will you miss about Lehigh women's soccer?
MW: The thing that I will miss most about Lehigh women's soccer is my teammates. They are my best friends, my sisters, my go-to's for everything. We have built such a strong foundation for this program to continue to grow, and that's something you don't get every day. I will miss being a part of a group of women who spend their time pushing their teammates to be better than they were the day before. I will miss running to the huddle after we score a goal. I will miss dancing around in the locker room. I will miss doing the cheer before we run onto the field. But most of all, I will miss walking off the field after a win, joking and laughing because we know we gave it our all and we know there's nothing better than being with each other.

What are your postgraduate plans?
MW: I am currently in the job search process, hoping to have it all figured out come early spring. I am hoping to get the chance to travel after graduation and start in the real world come next fall.