Freshman midfielder Liz Slattery never wanted to leave the comforts of Ohio.
“I was the type that didn't want to go too far from home,” Slattery said. “I was a homebody.”
The Cincinnati native said she planned on committing to the University of Dayton. Then Gators assistant Alan Kirkup noticed her.
Slattery, 18, played in a tournament at Walt Disney World in Orlando before the end of her senior year of high school. Kirkup attended to watch an opposing player, Slattery said.
“He saw me get hit or knocked down, and I lost the ball, and I guess I just started smiling and laughing,” she said.
“He remembered seeing me do that and loved that I smiled after I got hit. I think he saw my potential, and l think that is what he loved most about me.”
When the time came to meet coach Becky Burleigh and visit the UF campus, Slattery said the choice was obvious.
“I knew right when I came and talked to Becky, saw the school and saw [the team] play on top of everything, I was like, ‘This is where I've got to be. I can’t pass this opportunity up,’” she said.
Slattery made a smooth transition to Gainesville despite having to leave her family behind.
“The girls here are so awesome, and they make you feel so at home that it helps keep my mind off things,” she said.
Slattery joins a roster of 27 players, coming in with numerous accolades from high school and club soccer.
She was a back-to-back NSCAA High School All-America selection at midfield for 2011 and 2012, finished her high school career with 66 goals and 36 assists and led the Cincinnati United Premier Crew Jr. Gold 94/95 club team in the 2011-2012 season with 13 goals.
Even with her offensive experience, Slattery said she sees her role on the team as a defensive centermid.
“You have to have a lot of composure and you have to stay strong to your role,” Slattery said.
“You’re going to get the ball to people who will make something happen in the attacking third on the field. That is one of the biggest things, not losing your role and trying to do everything.”
Freshman Liz Slattery is one of eight new additions this season to coach Becky Burleigh's 27-player squad.
