The Georgia State Women’s Soccer Team was on a bit of a rollercoaster during the 2021-22 season as the team finished with a 9-4-7 record and a semi-final appearance in the Sunbelt Tournament.
The season was chaotic, but stellar performances from young stars are setting up what looks to be a bright future. These standout games came from veteran players and the electrifying freshman forward Brooklyn Fugel.
Ever since she was a little kid, Fugel has been interested in all kinds of sports, but at the age of seven, she picked up the sport of soccer and has had a love for it ever since.
“I started playing soccer when I was seven, like when I was young, but it was not until my Freshman year of High school that something flipped, and I wanted to play soccer in college and knew that it was something I wanted to do for the rest of my career,” Fugel said.
Fugel’s path to Georgia State was uncertain as her final high school soccer happened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The pandemic made it difficult to train, and when we would get the chance to play, many of our games got canceled. I played for the GSA, and we had six or seven games that were canceled and had to be played in the summer, which would be our offseason.” Fugel said.
Even though the pandemic placed a massive halt on Fugel’s dream of playing soccer in college, it gave her time to think about where exactly she wanted to play for the next four years.
“The recruiting process was kind of tough because of COVID-19. There was a dead period when coaches were not allowed to watch us in person. And we could not come and visit schools.”
Fugel initially was set on attending and playing for a big-time SEC or ACC program but always had the conflicting idea of staying in-state and being close to home.
“The biggest deciding factor was being close to family and having the ability for them to come to my games.”
With her mindset on staying in-state, Fugel’s visit to Georgia State and a sit-down with head women’s soccer coach Ed Joyce excited her. With it being so close to home and with the program growing more every day, she knew it was the best fit for her.
“Coach Ed and all the coaching staff were welcoming, and also Georgia State being in the city and 45 minutes from where I lived was perfect for me because I am a city girl can not do the country.”
Head Coach Ed Joyce has taken over the helm for the Georgia State Women’s soccer team since 2016 and has had consecutive years of playing deep into the Sunbelt Tournament. The program’s success is a significant part of its attractiveness to high-level high school prospects.
The life of a student-athlete is not easy as many may think. Many assume that athletes get it easy as they take easier courses and that schools offer them extended deadlines unavailable to the average student.
While in reality, athletes face daunting academic schedules while also performing to the best of their ability day in and day out.
“On a typical day, I wake up and go to training, then go to class, and have another training session, and then have my last class.”
The hard work is paying off for Fugel both in the classroom and on the field as the Georgia State Women’s Soccer had 29 members of the team earn academic honors. The team also had an overall 3.5 GPA.
Along with the academic recognition, Fugel was named 2021 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division I Women’s Southeast Region second team and ranked by TopDrawerSoccer.com as the #34 ranked Freshman in the country.
“The honors mean a lot to me and are important to me because it shows that my hard work has paid off.”
Fugel first saw the ball hit the back of the net in her fifth collegiate game against Kennesaw State, which eventually saw her take off, ending the season with seven goals, which is sixth in the entire conference and tied first for most goals by a true freshman.
“Coming into the year as a Freshman, I was a little nervous and scared, but everyone is welcoming,” Fugel said.
“Here at Georgia State, you’re not given anything; you have to earn everything. Even if at practice you have an off day, you have to make sure the next day you have an even better practice.”
Team culture is essential for any successful team. Having consistency and high team chemistry on and off the field is just a tiny part of what makes this work.
“The team’s culture is good; we all have fun together and enjoy our time together. I love seeing them and saying hi to everyone every morning.”
The Georgia State Women’s soccer team season ended in heartbreak as they were shut out 0-1 against South Alabama in the Sunbelt Championship Tournament.
“In the Sunbelt Tournament, we lost to South Alabama. They were a team that after 90 minutes we knew we should have beaten them, so we want to see them again.”
After having a stellar Freshman campaign, Brooklyn Fugel has her sights and ambitions set for a title.
“I scored seven goals last year, so one of my personal goals is to score more and possibly get Offensive Player of the year, and to make first-team All-Conference. As far as team goals go, we all want to win the Sunbelt Championship.”
Fugel and the Georgia State Women’s Soccer team believe they have everything they need to make a deep run in the Sunbelt Tournament and a potential NCAA Tournament selection with complete faith in herself and her teammates.
