Once again, Stephanie Verdoia joins an elite group of award winners. And for those who know her best, it comes as no surprise. Named Seattle U’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year for the second time (also in 2012-13) to cap off a record-breaking senior year, she becomes just the third Redhawk to complete that feat and the first since 2008.
“I’m really honored to be a part of that group. Seattle U has such a great variety of sports and people who are so good at so many things whether it be athletics or academics. I know it’s not a group of people who have taken things lightly or taken the easy route, so knowing people think I’m capable of those types of things is really special.”
Capable – one of the biggest understatements ever uttered.
Verdoia received two significant national honors, among many others, during her senior campaign including being named Academic All-American of the Year, also winning the Senior CLASS Award, both for all of Division I women’s soccer. After leading the Redhawks to another conference title, in January, she was drafted and signed by the NWSL’s Boston Breakers. By February, she had been chosen to play in Spain with the United States U23 National team. Almost indescribable for Verdoia who, only recently, returned home just to graduate college.
“I don’t even know if I can sum it up; it truly has been a whirlwind but an amazing one. The best part has been the amount of people I’ve gotten to experience it with. It’s never been something I’ve done on my own or had to experience alone. Some of it was hard, some of it was amazing, some of it was rewarding but all of it has been with people I love and care about.”
This past fall, Verdoia could’ve mistaken “#VoteForSteph” as her middle name as supporters – locally, regionally, nationally – rallied behind the senior sensation to help her win the prestigious Senior CLASS Award. Chosen to a top 10 finalists list, fan voting comprised a significant portion of the final vote.
“I feel like I woke up almost every morning crying because I felt so supported. The best part was people really thinking I was deserving of it, knowing there’s so many people in my life who know me and want to support me. It makes me feel good because I know I’m having an impact, whether that’s on younger girls, other people, teammates. It’s just nice to know I can have that kind of impact and it’s larger than just those people I get to see every day.”
After exhausting her college eligibility following the team’s second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament, Verdoia and head coach Julie Woodward attended the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft in anticipation. Woodward was much surer than Verdoia of her possibilities.
“A lot of people knew I went into it thinking I would be picked last because Seattle had the last pick, and I had talked to them a little bit, or I wouldn’t get picked at all.”
The morning of the draft, she told Woodward she didn’t want to attend and sit in a room just to be disappointed. Her coach encouraged her that the experience would be a positive one regardless.
“When they called my name, it was honestly pure shock. I was like ‘Who said my name? Who said it because I’m going to have to go up there and say thank you’. Thinking I could compete at that level really shocked me and made me reevaluate everything Seattle U has been able to do for me. People say Seattle U is a small school, it’s a bad conference, all these things, and not just my accomplishments but so many other athletes’ accomplishments this year are proving that’s wrong. So that was really empowering.”
She didn’t know it at the time but she and three others drafted by the Boston Breakers were all competing for one place on the team. Despite being drafted last of the four, Verdoia was the one who received the contract and the coveted spot.
Playing professionally in Boston has been a surprise but a welcome challenge.
“The level of play is – and it should be – truly a whole other level, so it was rough at the beginning. People would tell me that and I would say ‘I know, I’m prepared, I’m going to work harder’ but then when you’re actually playing with and against some of the best in the world, it’s a whole other challenge to bring that level of competition every single day. So I’ve really pushed myself in practice and learned about myself and the level of skills I can bring and that’s been really valuable. I love my teammates, my staff, my coaches, and the players – I’m really lucky with the group that I got.”
On top of an understandably already hectic spring, the Redhawks were training for a foreign trip to Barcelona, Spain when Coach Woodward pulled Verdoia aside to tell her some exciting news.
“She was like ‘I just got an email, you’re going to Spain’ and I’m like ‘What are you talking about? We’re going to Barcelona,’ and she’s like ‘No you’re going to play on the U23 National Team’ and I’m like ‘What? Are you serious?’ So finding out that way was pretty funny.”
During the trip from late February to early March, the team played games versus Japan, Norway, and England. Making her mark, she competed in two of the three games, making an assist.
“Not many people get to represent their country and even though it was just a small international tournament, I got to play with the best players in the nation and know what it feels like to wear our country’s colors. I learned a lot about myself and the competition I was about to face in Boston. It was truly a great experience.”
With indescribable experiences already behind her in her young career, she remains humble and applies innumerable lessons learned during her time at Seattle U.
“The community here is truly, truly special. Even though I have found a new community in Boston that I’m grateful to be a part of, the people here are once in a lifetime. Here I learned to recognize the values each person brings to your life. Whether that’s being a wonderful friend or someone you can compete with or anything – everyone truly has an impact and it’s all about recognizing that and knowing you’re lucky enough to be meeting the people you are.”