Riley McDonough '23 Recruiting Profile

Most people have that time in their lives that defined and built them. The moment that kept them pushing forward, something that would look great on a college essay about perseverance. I don't, and I'm not sure if I'm jealous of that or just plain lucky. Nothing in my life has caused me to make a dramatic life change that led me to my future. My life is simple; at the age of 6, my parents signed me up for soccer. At the age of 10, I fell in love with sports in general. At the age of 14, a friend asked me to play field hockey with her in high school. So I did. The summer before freshman year was the first time I picked up a stick. Since then, I've yet to put it down.  

Freshman year was a year of praise for me; coaches from other teams always told me the same sort of thing at the end of the game handshake, "you challenged and beat us through the ability to read players and the field, glad we don't have to face you again." Playing every minute of every game and having two defensive saves was my way of helping the team go undefeated. Sophomore year was a break-out year for me. With one goal under my belt, I ended a winning season with eight defensive saves. I can't wait for junior year to further myself. That's the thing about me I love bettering myself not just in practice but during the game. I pride myself on being able to read players and not allow them to get past me. That's why I would make a great addition to any team. I love playing, I love learning, and most importantly, I know how it feels to lose a heartbreaking game, and I never want to feel that again. So I am constantly improving myself and making sure I'm better than the Riley that step on the field last game.