SUPERIOR — As Wisconsin-Superior women’s soccer has started to shift its focus from the regular season to the postseason, they have a lot to celebrate.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
The Yellowjackets have already secured the top seed in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference tournament after a 4-1 victory against Northwestern on Saturday, Oct. 22. Only one day before that, junior forward Niya Wilson gave the team more to celebrate as she eclipsed the UWS career goalscoring record set by her former teammate Annah Bratley.
“I got the pass from a teammate on the top, and I was covered by a lot of people, it looked like three and I just went (left) upper 90 with it,” Wilson said of her 35th career goal.
With it, Wilson propelled herself into the top spot and kept a three-game scoring streak alive.
The first text Wilson read after the game was from Bratley who was just as excited for Wilson as she was herself.
“It’s been super cool to see all the people reaching out to me, and how many people are still following me,” Wilson said.
Many people have been able to follow Wilson, a native of Superior and a rare five-sport athlete at Superior High School. Wilson chose to stay home for college and is still happy with that decision.
“It’d be different if I were at a college five hours away, but I feel like it’s even cooler because I’m surrounded by friends and family,” Wilson said about achieving the record.
Wilson’s success comes from a strong work ethic, said Yellowjackets head coach Allison DeGroot.
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
“The summer before she came in, I was getting all these texts from her asking me if I knew where there were goals where she could shoot.” DeGroot said. And added that Wilson even took the trip over the bridge to rival St. Scholastica’s Saints Field during some summers.
“She’s just a gamer,” DeGroot said. “When she’s in the game environment she’s got this fiery, edgy, competitiveness to her. Because of that grit and work ethic, she has been able to create so many opportunities for herself, and her teammates.”
On a close-knit team, sometimes an individual record or achievement can separate a player from the team but it was the opposite for Wilson’s goal, DeGroot said.
“Niya is very joyful when our team accomplishes big things, and it was really cool because it was maybe one of her lesser celebrations … she just kinda let her teammates celebrate for her and it was a cool team moment even though it was an individual accomplishment,” DeGroot said.
Wilson had a lot of praise for the people around her.
“I feel like it’s more of just happening to be in the right time and place,” Wilson said. “I am very lucky to have had the people on the field around me because they are very selfless.”
Jed Carlson / Superior Telegram
She gets help off the field as well from athletic trainer Mitch O’ Neil, who she has spent a lot of time with this season.
“I’ve spent probably more time in there than on the field this year,” Wilson said jokingly.
But, whenever she is on the field DeGroot has given her the opportunities, starting Wilson every game if she is healthy.
“It’s easier going out there and not having to worry about what she’s thinking because she has that confidence in me as a player,” Wilson said of her coach.
Wilson has at least two more regular season games to catapult her career mark this season, and she’s only a junior. In addition to her senior season, Wilson has an extra year of COVID-19 eligibility that she is most likely planning to take. That means she’ll have two more seasons of finding ways to put soccer balls past goalies.
The regular season winds down for the Yellowjackets Friday, Oct. 28 and Saturday, Oct. 29 against Minnesota Morris and Crown, respectively. They start UMAC tournament play Tuesday, Nov. 2.
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