Field of Dreams
Shaler Area High School alum Rachel DeLancey becomes
2015 NAIA National Champion with the Spring Arbor Cougars.
BY NICOLE TAFE
T
he road to a dream is no doubt paved
with hard work and effort. But for
hometowner Rachel DeLancey, every
step of the way is fueled with a passion and
love for soccer.
DeLancey grew up in Glenshaw and
graduated from Shaler Area High in 2013. She
played soccer all four years in high school,
earning varsity letters each year. She also
ran track and field during her freshman and
sophomore years and played lacrosse during
her junior and senior years.
In addition to being a part of the Shaler
Area School District soccer teams from
grades 8-12, DeLancey also played on the
Shaler Soccer Club team until age 11. From
there she moved on to a couple of cup teams
including the North Stars and, later, Arsenal
Pittsburgh FC. She played on these teams
for roughly eight years and had a lot of high
school friends who also played on the coed traveling teams. The club teams were
important to DeLancey because they gave her
the opportunity to play the game she loved.
She especially liked that these teams gave
everyone a chance to play and that each was
“competitive, but still gave people who have
barely played a shot at getting better.”
Currently, DeLancey is a junior at Spring
Arbor University in Michigan studying health
exercise science and hopes to continue on to
physical therapy school post-graduation. She
plays soccer for the Spring Arbor Cougars, led
by head coach Jason Crist and assistant coach
Sam Ulstad, and starts as left center defense.
Last year, Spring Arbor University won
their first NAIA National Championship in
women’s soccer, defeating Lindsey Wilson
College, which was also ranked number one
in its division. Spring Arbor’s overall record
for the season was 22-2-1.
“Becoming an NAIA National Champion
still feels so surreal!” says DeLancey. “The
achievement brought pure happiness —
being able to look to your right and to your
left at your teammates and recognizing that
we accomplished this feat together was just
amazing to experience.”
Of course, it takes a lot of hard work and
dedication to become a national champion.
DeLancey points out that college soccer is
much more physical and demanding than
high school soccer. The college team requires
every player to commit to teamwork to win a
game.
“In high school, teams could score a win
with the help of just a few skilled players,”
DeLancey explains. “In college, the playing
field is much more challenging.” Players are
with each other nearly 24/7, not just for
training but in classes and daily activities. “We
are just one big family!” she says.
Despite the demanding schedules and
necessary training, DeLancey radiate 2