By Jeremy McDonald
Jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com
AMITY, Ore.– Looking back on her junior year, Amity’s Eliza Nisly knew it was going to be a challenge for her. Defense’s were accounting for more for the Warrior’s strong offensive attack and were trying to neutralize it the best that they could with Nisly, one of the targets they knew they had to account for.
She played Striker, she played Midfield. Wherever she was needed to give Amity the best shot to win ball games every time they stepped on the pitch.
And despite the challenges, Nisly still found a way to contribute.
22 Goals she scored with her assisting on another 17 to help Amity go 11-5 and reach the second round of the 3A/2A/1A State Playoffs in 2024.
“It’s important to play different roles. A lot of teams had marks on me a lot of the season, so it was harder to score goals, but it opened up different opportunities in different ways. It gets different people open to score, which is ultimately what the team needs,” said Nisly, “It takes a lot of adjusting to, it was really hard to adjust to at first and it was frustrating at times, but it was something that the team needs and it was something that I was capable of doing. I like contributing in different ways, and it was a good challenge for me.”
Tuesday morning saw Nisly and the Amity Girls and Boys Soccer programs (the Warrior Boys Soccer program Co-Op’s with Western Christian), host Day 2 of Youth Camp. It’s a bittersweet moment for Nisly knowing that it’s that last one, but it’s been an amazing experience connecting with the community and seeing the community support in return.
“It’s kinda crazy it feels like it went by really fast, the last four years, but I’m happy to be here one last time. It’s really special,” said Nisly. “As a freshman, seeing the growth of the community through the four years has been really important. Building connections with the youth has been amazing because I got to know a lot of them. I know that they look up to a lot of us, and I think it’s really good to be a really good leader for them and see what the future holds for them.”
Now, with her senior season set to start officially on Monday with the first day of official practice, Nisly is hoping to stay loose and remember that it’s just a game and to have fun.
“My goal this year is to relax and enjoy my last year, because in the past I’ve put so much pressure onto myself and our team has felt so much pressure that we kind of forget to enjoy the moment. This year, I just want to be present, be happy, and enjoy my last season,” Nisly said.
Amity opens the season on August 30 at home against Banks.
“We’ve had some much support from the community. It made us feel really special.
Photos By Jeremy McDonald
