Last week, sophomore forward Katie Griswold garnered an award that isn’t often won by Butler women’s soccer players.
On the heels of a 5-2 win over Miami (Ohio) in which Griswold scored the first hat trick of her career, she received honors as the Horizon League soccer player of the week.
All three goals were the first three of her young season, and they couldn’t have come at a better time.
“It felt the best to score the first goal. The goal was my first of the season,” Griswold said. “I felt like it had broken the ice for me.
“The third goal was just really thrilling because it had given me a hat trick. Three goals in one game in college—it doesn’t happen very often, so it was pretty exciting to get one.”
A difficult non-conference schedule left the women’s soccer team’s looking for their first win after going 0-4.
However, they are back on track, due to Griswold’s goal scoring.
“When I first found out [about the award], I was very surprised and excited,” Griswold said. “Both Ric and Tari, my coaches, texted me and told me congratulations and that they were very proud.”
That pride should grow as Griswold is on pace to have the season of her life.
After a freshman season with just five goals and four assists, Griswold has already scored four goals this season, including the game-winning goal against St. Louis this last week.
Griswold, a Youngstown, Ohio native, is a biomedical engineering major, part of Butler’s five-year Engineering Dual Degree Program.
Her life aspirations are unclear she said, but she’s enjoying soccer and school.
Individually, she said she understands her job on the team and will always do it to the best of her ability to ensure individual, and thus team, success.
“My goal for this season is just to score as many goals for my team as I can,” Griswold said. “My role on the team is mainly to score goals, so that is what I am going to do my best to do.”
Griswold is hoping that successfully playing her role will create more victories.
The team plans on viewing the four losses they have suffered so far as a learning experience and a set of benchmarks on which they will gauge their progress.
“Our team goal is for each player to give all they have out on the field so that we can win the Horizon League tournament,” Griswold said. “The non-conference games we are playing now mean a lot to us, but our focus is set for Sept. 26, which is the day we start conference play.”
After six games, the progress is clear.
The team’s goal differential in the last two games is plus four, exceeding the goal differential from their first three losses.
The Bulldogs have won their last two games, and are 2-2 at home. With better road play and Griswold leading the attack, these ladies are dangerous.