When freshman defender Natalia (Tal) Croce steps onto the field, her mindset is simple: win the ball.
“I would say I’m pretty defensive oriented,” Croce said. “I really like defending and winning the ball, whether that’s headers, on the ground or off the ground, really just winning it.”
Croce, a left center back on the American University women’s soccer team, said she has been immersed in the sport since she was three years old.
“My whole family has always played,” Croce said. “I would play soccer with my sister, and my dad’s also really into the sport.”
Her lifelong love and connection to the game has helped shape her competitive spirit and also made her a standout player in her first season playing for a Division I team.
Eagles assistant coach Michael Gaines works closely with the team’s defensive line and said that Croce’s toughness immediately stood out to him.
“She comes from a wrestling background with her family, so you can see that in her personality both on and off the field,” Gaines said. “She loves confrontation on the field, in terms of with the ball, and she’s really good in those moments of one-on-one duels. She’ll get knocked down and get right back up and continue to go headfirst.”
That fearlessness has helped translate into steady improvement on the pitch. She played 1,299 minutes, the most of any freshman this season, as the team heavily relied on her in the back end.
“On the field, she’s making big strides, even farther than we may have initially expected,” Gaines said. “That toughness about her creates a really solid foundation for her to always fall back on.”
Croce said her freshman season has been full of learning moments.
“We’ve had our ups and downs this season, but overall, we’re all just working on the little things we know we have to do better,” she said, “It’s really about fixing our technique and pretty determined.”
She said that although it’s hard to do at times, it’s about executing and finishing strong.
The team, which features eight freshmen, is one of the youngest squads in the Patriot League. Croce views the team’s youth as an advantage instead of an obstacle.
“We’re a young team, and we’re looking to peak at the right time,” she said. “All the girls are pretty close and we all have similar interests. Everyone works really hard and we’re all working toward the same thing.”
Gaines agreed that the group’s youth has brought a unique energy to the team.
“There’s a lot of freshmen playing, and I think that naivete has helped them,” Gaines said. “Tal [Natalia] doesn’t know what she doesn’t know, so she just puts her head down and runs through anything. She’s not afraid of anybody.”
Croce pointed to the team’s matchup against South Carolina as a highlight from this season. Although the Eagles lost 2-0, Tal said that it was still a great game.
“Everyone really wanted to do well in that game and we were all working together defensively and attacking-wise,” she said. “It was a pretty good result for going against a top team.”
Off the field, Croce has been adjusting to college life and learning how to balance her academics with athletics.
“It’s really different from high school,” she said. “No one’s really on you as much so you really have to hold yourself accountable. I have learned good time management though. It’s pretty easy to handle though once you realize that everyone’s doing it.”
Gaines has seen her personality start to emerge, too.
“When you first meet Tal, you might think she’s shy,” he said. “But the second you get to know her, she completely comes out of her shell. She always has a smile and she’s definitely a welcoming character in the locker room. It’s hard not to like Tal.”
Since their regular season has come to an end, Croce says that next season she wants to focus on continuing to grow and helping her team succeed.
“My goal is to be the best player I can be and improve not only myself but my teammates too,” she said. “A big goal for us is winning the Patriot League tournament and seeing how far we can go after that.”
This article was edited by Matthias Jaylen Sandoval, Penelope Jennings and Walker Whalen. Copy editing done by Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Avery Grossman, Ryan Sieve, Audrey Smith and Ava Stuzin.
