The Renaissance of Women's Soccer
Beanie Pechefsky ‘26 and Javier Vela ‘25
A team trip to Italy in summer of 2023, photo from @slcgryphonswsoc on Instagram.
It was a cloudless fall day at Fleming Field in 2019. Daniella Ford, in her senior year at Farmingdale college, stepped onto the grass, ready to take an easy win away from the Sarah Lawrence Gryphons. In the first half, the Rams wove their way between defenders, but despite their efforts, they couldn’t score on the mighty Gryphons. Farmingdale didn’t know what to do— this was Sarah Lawrence, a bottom-of-the-table team that they had thrashed time and time again in years prior. In the second half, the deadlock was finally broken, seeing Farmingdale emerge as 2-0 victors. Nevertheless, it was at this moment that Ford knew that the Gryphons were a force to be reckoned with.
Now Ford is the assistant coach for Sarah Lawrence Women’s Soccer. Last year, the team won the Skyline Conference by beating her former team in penalty kicks. After the 2023 season, eight players were named to an All-Conference team, the most among all Skyline schools. In the 2023 semi-finals, they took a tough loss against Merchant Marine, but the fact remains that Sarah Lawrence Women’s Soccer is an ever-growing powerhouse.
So, what exactly is it that makes them so successful?
“You’re going to get a lot of different responses,” head coach Maurizio Grillo says.
Grillo expressed a lot of faith in the individuals on the team. When asked what he does to foster team bonding, he says: “All of my athletes have different interests. Some of them are into environmental things, some of them are into music, some of them are into painting. I know that if there’s a need for them to come together, they will.”
One wouldn’t expect that this elite team would have such a beautiful emphasis on individuality, but upon observing how the players express themselves and interact with others, it became clear that it’s true.
Grace Carter ‘26 was named Second Team All-Conference player this year. Carter grew up on the soccer field, but lost touch with her personal connection to the sport in high school. Playing for Sarah Lawrence helped her reclaim her love for the sport. She was surprised by the overwhelming team spirit in little things-- like the early morning smoothies made by her team captains.
“Playing with people that you like makes such a big difference, because you want to do well for them,” Carter says.
When asked about her favorite memories with the team, Rosy Jackson ‘26 recalled winning the Skyline Championship.
“It went into PKs and Dani Perez scored the final and winning penalty kick. Seeing another first year who worked really hard be the big moment of the season was really cool.”
The 2022 team after winning the Skyline Championship, photo from the Sarah Lawrence Office of Sports Information.
It doesn’t seem entirely plausible that, in all the time leading up to that moment, in between practicing and playing, the team would find ways to pursue other interests.
Cora Colvin ‘25 was the 2022 Skyline Offensive Player of the Year, and she loves to cook. Her favorite things to make right now are butternut squash soup, breakfast granola, and chicken zucchini meatballs with feta dressing.
“Everyone on the team is super talented and has their own unique hobbies,” Colvin says.
Pickleball club leader Alyssa Kleine ‘24, is an active member of the Student Athlete Activity Committee (SAAC). She explains the camaraderie of the PickleBall club, “It’s a really social space for a bunch of different people. Some people come and watch but most play. We do little tournaments like we did for Halloween. People came in costumes and we gave out gift cards.”
Alyssa Kleine at the club fair for Pickleball, 2022, photo from @pickleballersslc on Instagram.
This is only the beginning of the various expressions of individuality that contribute to the cohesive entity that is Sarah Lawrence Women’s Soccer. While their talent on the field is an admirable and effective quality, their actions and accomplishments in their everyday lives is what brings it all together.
Leah Burrer ‘25 explains this unique connection: “Most if not all of my teammates are in clubs or different group organizations around campus. I think having a separate circle outside of soccer is a factor in our success because it benefits our soccer mentality.”
She expresses that the clubs she’s a part of make her feel fulfilled in all aspects of her collegiate life. Furthermore, she describes having spaces away from soccer as essential to team morale. “It’s like any family, too much time together could potentially make you go crazy… Because of this [clubs/other interests] I find myself excited to see my teammates before games and practices and this helps with chemistry on the field,” Burrer says.
Every other Tuesday, meetings for Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Athletics take place. Looking around the room, you’ll see that the majority of its members are from Women’s Soccer. Among other initiatives, DEI Athletics holds dialogues about important topics, such as one about Hispanic/LatinX Heritage Month or one about Men’s Mental Health Awareness. Recently, they collaborated with Dark Phrases, Sarah Lawrence’s annual publication featuring the work of students, faculty and staff of color. Dark Phrases held interviews with POC athletes, discussing their individual experiences.
Carter is one of the leaders of DEI Athletics. “It was part of the spirit I adopted in college; going out of my comfort zone and trying things. This felt like a great space where I could be of value… I went to the NCAA conference, saw what other DEI committees across the nation are doing, and started to see DEI as a space that could create some actual change within the athletic department,” Carter says.
Media Day Outtakes, photo from the Office of Sports Information.
There's a growing effort among all sports teams at Sarah Lawrence to foster an inclusive environment for a diverse student body. Every single team has put some effort into the process, but the culture of most teams is underdeveloped. Sarah Lawrence sports are only about twenty years old; they’re young and insecure, kind of like a college student in some ways, and they have so much time to learn, grow, and become successful. Perhaps they would do well with a role model— not someone to copy, but someone to follow in the footsteps of.
Women’s Soccer is a reminder that successful athletes don’t have to fit into our conventional conception of who they are. Athletes can be interested in open discussion. Athletes can be artists. Athletes can be intelligent. Athletes can emphasize and accept their individuality. Athletes can operate calmly and kindly on and off the field. Perhaps these values that the team upholds, these quintessentially Sarah Lawrence-ish values, are actually a large part of what makes them win.