Effort always brings success. Texas A&M Women's Soccer Forward Ashlee Pistorius is no exception to the rule, after recently being named the 2007 Honda Collegiate Player of the Year. For Pistorius, getting this award during her senior year with the Aggies is a testament to her performance, but also to her team's hard work and dedication on the field.
"Any award you get, whether individual or at a team level, is a great honor, because all awards are really team awards," Pistorius said. "My teammates have gotten to be really close to me, because 10 or 11 of them are seniors, and we all have had the opportunity to grow together over the last four years."
2007 was, by far, Pistorius' best year as a collegiate athlete. Among the many honors she received, Pistorius was selected as the Big 12 Player of the Year after recording a career-best 25 goals, 129 shots, and 59 points. 2007 also saw her set all-time Big 12 records in goals (81) and points (194). In spite of all her records and accolades, Pistorius' main goal is not to win them every year.
"I do not ever set on being the best player. Rather, my goal is just trying to play hard every year. Don't take me wrong, getting these awards is very nice, because it means that my work is getting recognized, but they are not the first thing I strive for every time I play the game."
Academics are also an important part of Ashlee's repertoire. Majoring in Sports Management, she was recently named to the Academic All-Big 12 second team.
"Soccer is a big part of my life, but academics are also an important part of my future success," said the Bloomington, Ill native.
Pistorius started her collegiate career with a bang in 2004, being named the Big 12 Rookie of the Year. She then went on to lead the Big 12 in scoring in 2004, 2005, and 2007. During her surprising college career, Pistorius posted a career-high 12 shots and four goals in a single game, tailed 21 multi-goal games, including six career hat tricks, and was selected four times as a member of the Big 12 All-Tournament Team, among other honors.
Now that her collegiate career is over, Pistorius is getting ready for the next level: the upcoming Professional Draft, which is due to occur this spring.
"I am currently working out and trying to keep in shape for the upcoming Professional League Draft. As a future professional, I want to dedicate 100 percent of my efforts to the sport, just like I've done throughout my college career, to fully realize my potential as a player and hopefully one day accomplish great things in the game."
