SOMERS, N.Y. - After reaching the state semifinals at Somers and being named All-State, Annie Maguire was accepted to Fordham University. However, the soccer standout was honest about how 18 years of life didn’t necessarily prepare her for the big change of college.
“I was definitely nervous and scared,” the Ram admitted. But just as things were settling in, the former Tusker got hit with an even steeper hurdle.
“I tore my quad a week before preseason,” Maguire revealed.
So whatever hopes she had for a meaningful freshman season were dashed. On the other hand, her fortitude brought a much better spring, and she is looking ahead very optimistically for year two.
Being redshirted, Maguire gets a redo, and no doubt, the second time around will give her a leg up.
“It was crazy because everyone is at your level. Everyone has worked as hard as you. So you have to find another level if you want to stand out,” she explained.
A competitive eye opener that was definitely not cutthroat - especially in terms of the upperclassman.
“They made you feel comfortable because they know,” assured Maguire. “They were in this position too.”
That said, there was no soft landing when it came to her injury, and from the disappointment came an important lesson. She tried to play through the injury, and in her hobbled start, there was no keeping up.
“That was not the best decision,” Maguire lamented.
Still, the middie attacker did get into a game, but not for long. “I re-tore it,” said Maguire.
No more games played, she was quick to admit her flawed mindset. “I didn’t want to look weak,” Maguire clarified.
From there, the freshman made the best of it. “By watching, I know what the level was, what I need to play at, and what I need to work on,” she said.
Of course, all this didn’t leave her exempt from the classroom. Undecided at the moment, Maguire took her core classes, made the Dean’s List in the first semester and enjoyed the course she took in journalism.
Even so, she’s leaning toward majoring in business. As for stepping out at Fordham, the social life requires just that. “It’s not a party school, it’s more of a bar school,” Maguire said.
Any problems, she calls home, where mom and dad offer a specific ear for her to choose.
“If I want someone to feel bad with me, I call my mom. And If I want someone to tell me what to do, then I get my dad in there,” Maguire revealed.
The foundation in place, the second semester offered a reprieve. She took a running test and was the only one to pass. Her coach took note, and she made the spring team.
Here, experience made a big difference. She has long had a patella problem and used a few extra weeks to fully heal. Maguire got into the last two games, and the final performance was memorable. Playing for 80 minutes, she said, “The game was very hectic. So when I went in, I kind of controlled and calmed down the game, which is what the coaches wanted.”
A moment that went a long way to making up for the difficult fall. “It felt so good to play. Now, I know I can play at this level because it’s a different pace. So I definitely felt I proved something,” she beamed.
And the strong lead into the fall has Maguire looking forward to a much better outcome this time.
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