Abby Christensen, freshman, followed through on a corner kick in the first half of a game against the Parkway North Vikings April 9. Seconds later, the ball was at the back of the net, as the Pioneers had scored. Little did Christensen know, she had in fact scored the goal herself.
“Honestly, I didn’t know I scored it until I got to the bench later,” Christensen said. “But I was happy to know I did it.”
Christensen bent it like Beckham and the goal turned out to be the game winner against the Vikings. However, her corner kick goal was not the only highlight of her week. Christensen recorded 3 assists in a 3-0 win over the Parkway West Longhorns April 2. She also scored a goal along with 2 assists in a 5-1 win over Clayton April 4.
Christensen was playing middle school soccer one year ago, but has transitioned to high school soccer and starts at forward for the Pioneers’ varsity squad.
“[High school soccer] is a lot of fun. It was definitely kind of scary at first, because I’m younger than them,” Christensen said. “It’s a lot more physical and the play moves faster than what I’m used to.”
The speed and physicality may be unfamiliar, but Christensen leads the team in assists (7), points (15) and is second in goals (4). Christensen praises her upperclassmen teammates for helping her transition.
“They’ve all been really nice and accepting,” Christensen said. “They are also very helpful whenever I get confused about a play.”
