STATE EXTRA: Hornets’ Suyes ‘a gamer’

FISHERSVILLE

To be a freshman on a varsity team is one thing, but to be a freshman on a varsity team that has the scoring power needed to take that team to the state tournament — and to be what the opponent prepares for — is something totally different.

Such is the impact Lindsay Suyes has on the Wilson soccer team.

“For any freshman to play on a varsity team is an accomplishment,” said Green Hornets coach Scott Crist.

Suyes hit the 2009 season to the complete surprise of other Group A schools the Hornets had to pit themselves against. It didn’t take long, however, for the competition to take notice of a forward who put up 33 goals this season.

It also didn’t take long for rival schools to build their defense around keeping Suyes away from the net.

“Now everyone knows — everyone expects her,” Crist said.

But, this doesn’t seem to bother Suyes in the least.

“I’m kind of used to it by now,” the 15-year-old said. “They know what’s going to happen. So when they double-mark me, I just try to pass it off and let someone else score.”

She does not hide her love of soccer. It’s her life, she said. She’s the girl kicking a soccer ball around while shopping at Walmart.

“They get on the intercom, ‘Please, no soccer in Walmart,’ ” she said. “And I’m like, ‘oh crud.’ ”

The only time she’s not kicking a soccer ball, she said, is when she’s climbing stairs or getting into a car.

“She’s a gamer,” Crist said. “Whether she’s single-marked or double-marked, she’s going to play.”

For Suyes, part of the fun in soccer is upsetting the other team’s defense. She gets a kick out of running at will with the ball, completely wearing her defenders out until she either scores, which happens often, or giving the ball to a teammate.

And that’s where the beauty in the Hornet team lies – in their ability to work together. Despite the fact that a freshman has become the life of a varsity team, no one minds – no one is jealous of the attention Suyes is getting. “We’ve got a good surrounding cast,” Crist said. “Everyone on the team recognizes her talent. Everyone is happy for her recognition.”

“She’s a great teammate,” said junior Chelsea Tolbert. “She’s fast and can capitalize. We’re all a family – we use each other’s assets well.”

The team travels to Northampton today for the Group A Quarterfinals at 5 p.m., something the whole team is eager for.

“Everybody is excited,” Suyes said. “We haven’t made it this far before.”

Regardless of the pressure of a state tourney, the attention she’s getting from all angles, all on top of the fact that she’s younger than anyone else on the team, Suyes won’t let this get into head.

She plays because it’s fun.

She plays because it’s who she is