Introducing this week’s campus celebrities, Kayli Igoe and Lilly Radack! They are both freshmen here at UNH and members of the Women’s Soccer Team. Keep reading to find our more about their love for the sport, the deets about their experience on the UNH team so far, along with their experiences with a Seacoast United Premier Team, and much more!
Name: Kayli Igoe
Hometown: Durham, NH
Year: Freshman
Major/Minor: Nutrition and Premed
Involvements on Campus: Women’s Soccer
Name: Lilly Radack
Hometown: Madbury, NH
Year: Freshman
Major/Minor: Journalism International Affairs Dual Major
Involvements on Campus: Women’s Soccer Team
We know that the both of you are very talented soccer players for the UNH Womens’ team. Tell us about your dedication to the sport of soccer and the positions you play on the UNH soccer team.
Kayli: Over the years it became a passion for me, and it’s hard to picture myself not playing every day. On UNH I started out playing center back but have currently been playing right full back and right winger.
Lilly: I play center mid on the team, and have been lucky enough to be playing this season (until I got injured). I’ve been playing soccer since I was four years old but I only played with the boys because my parents wanted me to be tough. Our team at UNH is amazing, a group of girls that all care so much about each other and have a desire to win every game we play.
We know that both of you have been playing soccer for years, even making the varsity team your freshman years of high school, what is the one thing you absolutely love about the sport?
Kayli: It is a way to challenge yourself, and it’s not only a test of your physicality, it’s a mental test too. Part of the reason I love the sport so much is because of the bonds you make with your teammates as well.
Lilly: There is nothing quite like being a part of a team, fighting for each other and giving everything you have not for yourself, but for the teammate next to you. Soccer has always been a part of my life and my family dynamic. My parents played, my sister Rhyan played in college too, so I’ve never known anything different.
Is it hard balancing the demands of being on the soccer team with academics?
Kayli: It definitely takes a lot of time management, but we are required to complete 8 study hall hours a week so that we get our work done. Also, mentally it’s hard to switch gears from academics to soccer on a regular basis, when both require so much focus.
Lilly: It is hard, but it also keeps you in check, because the time off the field we really need to take advantage of studying and doing homework. We also have to complete eight hours of study hall each week in the field house, so that helps us get our work done for class.
We heard that you have played on the Seacoast United Premier Team, which is not easy to achieve. Tell us how you got to play for them and your experience with them.
Kayli: I played on Seacoast since I was 12, and even at such a young age it was fairly competitive to make the premier team and stay on it. My experience with Seacoast was an extremely strenuous one—it was years and years of commitment. It’s crazy how important those years of developing good soccer technique and skills were, and along the way I had incredibly influential coaches like Ian and Dave Burgess. Without them, I don’t think I would be the player I am today.
Lilly: I started playing for Seacoast when I was seven years old, so I’ve been playing with the girls on my club team all of my life, they grew to be my best friends. Being captain of my team gave me a lot of responsibility but in a good way. The teammates from seacoast will no doubt be my best friends for life.
Tell us about your travel adventures while playing for Seacoast over the years.
Kayli: Traveling for Seacoast was always really fun, but there were definitely some extremely hectic trips. Lots of plane rides and hotel rooms—but the Florida tournaments were always the most fun. We would always go as a team to theme parks, and one time we even made our coaches go on the rides too, which was definitely interesting.
Lilly: We’ve been very lucky to have traveled all over the country for tournaments while playing soccer. The countless car rides and flights to places like Las Vegas, Florida, and even Scotland.
How different is it playing in college than it was in high school?
Kayli: College and high school almost don’t compare; they are like two different games. The consistency in them is the responsibility you hold as a student-athlete. In both high school and college you are held at a high standard of academics and good social behavior.
Lilly: High school soccer was more about having fun and the results didn’t matter as much. Playing a Division I college sport is a lot more time consuming and everyone is itching to win the America East Conference.
You rep number 9 and number 5 on the field. Have you always worn these numbers or were you just randomly assigned them upon joining the team this year?
Kayli: Number 9 was my first number in soccer, and it’s been my lucky number ever since. I was so happy I got to be 9 at UNH, I never thought I would be able to!
Lilly: I’ve always been number 3 in the past, but I chose number 5 because I like odd numbers and I have 5 people in my family.
Have you experienced any serious injuries in your soccer careers?
Kayli: My freshman year of high school I broke my wrist in a game, and also I’ve sprained both my ankles, but no other serious injuries other than those.
Lilly: Unfortunately I got compartment syndrome now and am getting surgery on both of my legs on Friday October 18th, so I will not be playing for the rest of this season.
..We wish you a swift recovery, Lilly!
Besides soccer, what are some of your other hobbies or involvements here at UNH?
Kayli: It’s hard to find time to be involved in any other hobbies at UNH during soccer season, but attending sports events like football and volleyball games and supporting the different teams is always fun. I hope to go abroad to Italy for a nutrition program during the summer of my sophomore year.
Lilly: Being in season and our first semester at UNH we hardly have time to sleep, so hopefully next semester we will be able to get more involved in other aspects of UNH.
What are your hopes for the future and do you see your soccer careers continuing on past your college years?
Kayli: I hope to graduate UNH with a nutrition background and I would like to apply for internships after UNH. I aspire to get a Registered Dietician license, but medical school is also a possibility after UNH. I see myself settling down from competitive soccer after my college career, but I think I will definitely continue to play for fun.
Lilly: After college I hope to be traveling the world and experiencing new cultures. I hope to have a job that allows me to do so, and soccer will always be a part of my life no matter where I go.