When Melissa “Missy” Matusewicz '01 was a high school soccer star in Massachusetts, she attracted recruiters from Division I schools such as the University of Massachusetts and Merrimack as well as a bevy of Division III schools.
Happily for Union and Head Coach Brian Speck, she came to Schenectady, and her brilliant four-year career leaves the Dutchwomen in excellent shape for the future.
Matusewicz came to Union because it was “the best academically and the most challenging school that I had applied to. As for soccer, I knew the harder I worked, the more playing time I would get.”
With Matusewicz in its lineup, Union has risen to an unprecedented level. She started all 72 games of her career and helped lead the team to a record of 56-11-5, a winning percentage of .813. The Dutchwomen won two of the last three Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association championships, back-to-back New York State Women's Collegiate Athletic Association tournament championships, and were invited to the NCAA Division III national championship tournament each of the last two seasons.
Matusewicz made an impact from her first day on the soccer field. As a freshman, she scored 14 goals and nine assists for a total of 37 points. Her efforts helped the Dutchwomen earn an invitation to the state tournament, where she was voted to the All-Tournament team. She was voted to the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association's All-Conference First Team, won the league's “Rookie of the Year” award, and was honored as the College's “Freshman Female Athlete of the Year.
She avoided the “sophomore jinx” by scoring 10 goals and four assists as the Dutchwomen finished 13-1-1, the best record in the history of the sport at Union. She was again named to the UCAA All-Conference First Team, earned a spot on the New York State Coaches Athletic Association's Northeast Regional All-American First Team, and was awarded the College Women's Commission “Athletic Promise Award and Sophomore Athletic Prize.”
Perhaps her single most outstanding performance came at the end of her junior year. With Union single-season records in goals (25) and points (55), she led the team to its first appearance in the NCAA Division III tournament. A decided underdog against perennial power Ithaca, Union trailed 3-0 at the half. That was before Matusewicz tied an NCAA record for points in a game with a hat trick and an assist in a thrilling 4-3 triple overtime victory. She was named to the UCAA All-Conference First Team for the third year in a row and was chosen for the All-State Tournament and Northeast Region All-American teams.
This year she once again led the team in scoring (20 goals, 45 points) as Union finished 15-2-2. She was was the most valuable player in the state tournament, was again named to both the All-State and Northeast Regional All-American teams, and in early January was named to the National Soccer Coaches Athletic Association second team All-American.
With all the individual honors, Matusewicz would rather talk about the team. “I'm glad I was able to be a part of what the team has accomplished,” she says. “We have a team that is very close-knit, both on and off the field. Soccer is not a job, but something we look forward to. The sport has led to friendships that I will have and cherish forever.”
Coach Speck says, “It's not a coincidence that our record is what it is since Missy has been here. She came to Union with a high level of expectation for both herself and the team. Not only did she quickly make her presence felt on the field, but more importantly, her strong work ethic gave her a presence on the team. Missy has been a leader by example and has always put the team's goals ahead of her own.”
Speck says that Matusewicz lets her dedication, desire, and performance do her talking. “Missy is not afraid to get on her teammates about their work rate, which she is able to do because she always gives 100 percent.”
Matusewicz, who is majoring in anthropology and psychology, has traveled to Barbados, one of the College's many study abroad opportunities. The trip, she says, “made me realize how much things are taken for granted. I appreciate the things in my life much more now.”
She plans to attend graduate school to earn her masters in education, focusing on the elementary or middle school level. She would also like to coach soccer, as she has done over the summer. “The camps and coaching made me realize how much I love being with the soccer scene and how comfortable I am with it. It also gives me the opportunity to give something back to the sport that has given me so much.”