DBU REPORT 32 PATRIOTATHLETICS When the NCAA offered another year of eligibility to athletes impacted by the pandemic, seniors Delaney Schmidt, Abigail Olmos, Summerlyn Heller, and Melissa Jones all accepted. “We knew when these four decided to come back that their decision was going to be critical for this particular year,” explains DBU Head Coach Michelle Lenard. “If we could get them back after the nightmare that last year was…all their life experience and dealing with the adversity of the COVID year would add to their value as players. If we were able to bring them back alongside our talented young players then it could be very meaningful.” DELANEY SCHMIDT Delaney Schmidt leads the team with eight goals through 13 games. The veteran has clocked over 6100 minutes in her career and impacted virtually every one of them. A fixture in Michelle Lenard’s starting lineup since 2017, Schmidt recently became the program’s all-time leader in starts and ranks second in goals scored. Not bad for a former walk-on. “Frankly, we got lucky. We almost missed out on her [Delaney Schmidt]. But she felt called to be here and was persistent and kept coming to practice. We picked her up late, and we did not have scholarship money available at the time. We told her, “We would love to have you, but we just do not have the money SOCCER SEES THE RETURN OF DBU’S CORE FOUR AND A MOMENT YEARS IN THE MAKING By Jay Attal right now,” reveals Lenard, so she came anyway and took a risk. We immediately recognized that she was a tremendous athlete, really fast, super strong, and very good in the air, so we placed her at center back. We got behind in a game one day, and on a whim, I moved her up to a wing position. She looked really dangerous, and we were chasing down 1-0 in the rain. We ended up coming back and winning that game.” Watch just one of her signature headers, and you’ll begin to understand the fiery playstyle she carries on the pitch. It is that competitive fire, coupled with a genuine love for her teammates, that has fueled her the last five years. “I was not ready for soccer to be over, so when I got the opportunity to stay another year and play alongside my best friends again, I was absolutely going to take it,” Schmidt said. Schmidt wasn’t the only first year-phenom that Michelle Lenard uncovered in 2017. At the same time, A young Abigail Olmos was reconsidering her soccer career. ABIGAIL OLMOS “Abby [Abigail Olmos] was out of school and was not sure if she was going to play soccer anymore,” says Lenard. “We made a connection with her through a coaching friend, and it was a similar story where we almost missed out on her. Abby is a special player; she can change the game in a moment all on her own.” As a freshman, she used that incredible speed to run away with a pile of conference honors. In one of the most decorated seasons in Patriot history, Olmos was named First Team All-Conference, Conference Player of the Year, and a Second Team All-American. Years later, she still benefits from her breakout season. “I was able to experience big, crucial moments,” details Olmos. “Overtime matches, the conference tournament, and the NCAA playoffs all taught me how to compete under pressure and prepared me for big games later in my career.” The midfielder is on a blistering offensive tear and has already posted career highs in goals and assists and now ranks eighth all-time in goals scored and fourth in assists. SUMMERLYN HELLER Summerlyn Heller has started 70 consecutive matches dating back to 2018. The fifth-year defender has appeared in 89 games in her storied career and is scheduled to become DBU’s all-time leader in games played. Heller’s big workload has been a catalyst for growth in the back half of her Patriot journey. “Summerlyn has learned to become a vocal, accountable leader throughout her career. She has earned the respect of her teammates by remarkably improving her game,” says Lenard. “She is another great story of someone who could have easily
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