Creighton women’s Soccer senior Kelsey O’Donnell did not always know where she belonged on the soccer field. Then again, neither did her coaches for a while. In 2012, to begin her junior year of collegiate soccer, the native of El Dorado Hills, California, was dispatched as the center forward in Creighton head coach Bruce Erickson’s attack. At the time it seemed like the proper position for her given the amount of experience she had compared to the rest of her teammates. She scored two goals from that position, and despite that team’s constant struggles to put the ball in the net, she managed to show off the talent that got her on CU’s radar coming out of high school.
Creighton’s Kelsey O’Donnell (WBR/Mike Spomer) CLICK PHOTO TO BUY
Her talent wasn’t always at Creighton’s disposal, however. Even though she narrowed her list of schools down to Creighton and several other prominent programs, she opted instead to stay close to home and attend Sacramento State. Although she was moved around from the attack to defense, she made her mark as a member of the Hornets soccer team with her scoring ability. As a true freshman she scored a team-high four goals, three of which were game-winners, earned the team’s Rookie and Offensive Player of the Year awards, and was also being named All-Big Sky Honorable Mention in 2009.
Another solid season followed as a sophomore in 2010, but this time it led to success as a team. The Hornets won the Big Sky Conference Championship and made the NCAA tournament, each for just the second time in school history. They eventually lost to top-ranked Stanford in the first round that year.
After two seasons at Sacramento State, she decided to transfer to Creighton and began what would prove to be a difficult transition for her athletic career. She sat out the 2011 season per transfer rules and watched as Sacramento State beat her new team in overtime by a score of 2-1 during the regular season. As a junior in 2012, O’Donnell and the Bluejays finished 3-13-3, the worst record in school history.
Toward the end of that season the coaching staff moved O’Donnell from her center forward position to center back alongside then sophomore, and fellow team captain, Madelyn Buckner. While not the ideal position in Kelsey’s mind she wanted to do whatever was necessary to make the team successful. Erickson also felt that given her ability it was the right move going forward.
“When we decided to move her we had more of a need in the back, and when you have a player that’s talented like her, that has the ability to do some different things, we felt like it was a good move, and also a good combination with her and Madelyn Buckner,” he said.
The switch did not translate to immediate results in the win-loss column, however, as Creighton lost four of their final five games and also dropped their first two matches to begin the 2013 season. Despite the losing streak, progress was being made and the team defense began to make strides due to her impact.
“She’s gotten better at communicating. That was one area she would say herself that she needed to get better at,” said volunteer assistant Chris Dunford, who works primarily with the defensive unit. “Her organization has started to come through a lot. Being a senior that’s what we needed. She’s kind of a pillar stone back there. She’s had to step it up and be that leader, and that’s what we’re starting to see.”
In the 11 games since O’Donnell’s move to center back, Creighton has allowed an average of one goal per game, and has outscored opponents 12-11 over that stretch. Compare that to the 14 games prior when the Bluejays allowed 1.86 goals per game and got outscored 26-17.
The Bluejays are coming off a weekend in which they defeated North Dakota and Northern Colorado by a combined score of 10-1. They didn’t allow a single corner kick in either game, and the lone goal allowed was scored after they already had a 2-0 lead in the second half of the second game.
That defensive performance didn’t go unnoticed when the Big East Conference handed out the weekly awards; O’Donnell earned Defensive Player of the Week accolades.
“I wasn’t expecting anything,” O’Donnell said in regards to earning some recognition for defense when the offense scores 10 goals in two games. “Our coaches have put a back four together and we’re all playing really comfortably with each other,” she said. “Every day we’re usually practicing on something defensive. Whether it is organization, communication, defending on the transition, or even just clearing balls out. It’s getting us more comfortable with each other in every aspect of the game.”
That starting unit in the back four — which along with O’Donnell is made up of true freshman Emily Roll, sophomore Jill Richgels, and converted midfielder and junior Angela Benson — sees their senior co-captain as the unquestioned leader of that ever-improving defense.
“Kelsey talks all the time … she just never shuts up.” Benson joked for a moment before explaining why it’s important for her team leader to never stop being vocal. “It makes everyone’s job easier from the back to the front just because of that. If she continues to communicate then all of us can read off of what she’s seeing.”
Benson, who transferred to Creighton from UC Riverside before last season, said the recognition showed another example of the level of pride each member of the team has in each other’s success.
“Our team is like a family. If someone gets anything we all get excited. You can see it even on the bench when someone scores everyone is fired up. It’s not just about the individual.”
Kelsey O’Donnell celebrates a goal by Alyssa Jara (WBR/Mike Spomer) CLICK PHOTO TO BUY
As a first-year starter, Roll talked about the experience of playing right alongside O’Donnell in the back four.
“It’s invaluable,” she said. “As a freshman, I don’t even know how to explain it, you have the age difference going against girls 2-3 years older than you, plus the size. Having Kelsey’s presence in the back is really helpful when I’m trying to learn the ropes.”
“She makes you feel really comfortable. She makes the whole unit feel comfortable,” said Richgels, who is in her year second year as a full-time starter at fullback. “If you’re having a bad game she’s the type of person that will always be there to help you and support you. I think that’s something that’s really important to have, mentally, as a player.”
As O’Donnell’s senior year, from the spring to the fall, has progressed so has her comfort with the technical aspects of her new position. All that remains to develop is the consistency as a leader that will make last season’s shortcomings a distant memory.
“She has started to gain a lot of confidence, and I give her a lot of credit because she’d be the first to tell you that she would rather play in the front than the back,” Erickson said of his senior center back. “But she’s a team player, and she wants to win. People listen to her, the other players, when she speaks, they all listen. And we want her to be able to communicate a little bit more. She’s the key back there. She’s the most experienced and has the most accountability out of anybody. She’s been the one player back there that’s the glue that’s held it together.”