Pawlewicz plays for keeps
11/1/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
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Mountain Hawks senior co-captain Michaela Pawlewicz has proven herself as one of the top defenders in the Patriot League; however, for Pawlewicz and the rest of the Lehigh women’s soccer team, this season is not about individual accomplishments, but rather about obtaining that elusive Patriot League Championship and NCAA Tournament berth.
To understand the journey and transformation Pawlewicz has undergone as a player, you have to go back to 2004, when she was a freshman. Brought to Lehigh for her outstanding offensive skills, she quickly learned that she would have to put the team’s needs above her own preferences.
“I was recruited as a forward, and during preseason camp, I was moved to the back line, and the two positions are extremely different” said Pawlewicz. “I was trying to get used to a new team and a new system, while learning a new position as well.”
Pawlewicz tried to learn as quickly as she could, and was named the opening day starter at center back as a freshman, without any real game time experience at the position.
“She understood the responsibilities with the position and was technically and athletically talented to make an immediate impact,” said head coach Manny Oudin.
For Pawlewicz the transformation did not end in the preseason. She spent a lot of extra time working with Oudin to firmly understand the position.
“She actually struggled mentally with the switch to the back from a forward role,” said Oudin. “She did not feel that she had a great grasp of the role and also it was hard for her to gauge her performance. I kept telling her that we would not set her up for failure, but we felt that the center back role would be one where she would experience a great deal of success and also would have the chance to play 90 minutes of every match.”
All that hard work paid off, as by the end of her sophomore year Pawlewicz was one of the premier defenders in the nation. She was named the Patriot League’s Defensive Player of the Year, and an All-Patriot League first team selection, as well as an All-Region honoree by Soccer Buzz.
“I think while the change of position was overwhelming, in the end I think this may have made me a better college player,” said Pawlewicz. “Since I had no experience as a defender, my first experiences came in collegiate games, against players who were used to the speed and physical toughness of games at this level. I had no choice but to learn how to play at this level quickly.”
All her success on the field translated to the team’s best season in school history in 2005, as Lehigh recorded a school record 14 wins. Behind the play of Pawlewicz, the Mountain Hawks had the nation’s best defense, recording 13 shutouts.
Lehigh came into the Patriot League Tournament as the top seed and a heavy favorite to win it all. However, a devastating loss to Bucknell in penalty kicks in the first round knocked the top seed out the tournament, and crushed their NCAA Tournament dreams.
The following year, the Mountain Hawks were brought back down to earth, recording an 8-9-1 record and failed to make it out of the first round of the Patriot League Tournament for the second straight year.
“I have spent a lot of time since last season, thinking of how to get this team and my personal playing level back to where it was in 2005,” said Pawlewicz. “It has been a goal of this senior class to make sure that we make the most out of our last year, and I think this group of seniors is extremely committed to that goal.”
Oudin knows that Pawlewicz is doing everything she can to bring Lehigh its first Patriot League title.
“She works extremely hard in matches and holds herself accountable,” said Oudin. “She wants this to be an extremely successful senior campaign and is willing to do what is necessary to see it happen.”
For all the turmoil and change Pawlewicz has had to deal with on the field, she feels it will help when she graduates this spring. The behavioral neuroscience major will be entering pharmaceutical sales, a field notorious for its chaotic and ever-changing environment.
“We are just so stretched for time trying to balance practice, lifting, team events, as well as studying and getting work done” said Pawlewicz. “I have often found though that I manage to do better while in season than in the spring, because we are on such a strict time schedule, it is easier to know that you only have so many hours in a day to get work done. I find it is easier to get work done when I know how little time I actually have.”
While she may be juggling her duties as captain of the soccer team and her school work, her professors don’t seem to notice.
“Michaela is a very conscientious student,” said Professor Roger Simon. “She always comes to class prepared and ready to participate.”
For now, Pawlewicz must prepare for the final half of her soccer career, as the Mountain Hawks work towards the league title.
Lehigh will wrap up its regular season on Saturday night when the Mountain Hawks play host to Army. The Mountain Hawks enter the final weekend in sixth place in the league standings, but they remain alive for a berth in the Patriot League tournament. Lehigh enters the weekend three points behind the third-place Black Knight’s and can clinch a fourth straight tournament berth with a win over Army, combined with wins by Navy over Colgate on Saturday and Army on Monday.
Army however, should provide a tough test for the Brown and White. Picked sixth in the preseason poll, the Black Knights currently hold down third place in the league standings with a 3-1-1 record. Army’s lone league loss came to first place Bucknell, while their most recent effort was a 0-0 draw at American. The Black Knights have only scored 14 goals in 15 games this season, led by Sarah Goss with five; but a stingy defense anchored by Geralyn Pedicino and goalkeeper Alex Lostetter is allowing less than a goal per game.
The Black Knights the all-time series versus Lehigh 13-3-1, with the lone tie coming in last year’s meeting, a 1-1 draw at
Saturday’s game kicks off at 7 p.m. from the Ulrich Sports Complex. Lehigh’s senior class consisting of Pawlewicz, Addie Burton, Jen Fetsick, Courtney Jackson, Shannon Lockwood, Melissa Montalvo and Anndrea Yetter, will be recognized prior to the contest. The game will be broadcast live on Lehighsports.com with streaming video powered by Yahoo! Sports.
