Better late than never.
Sure, it’s an old adage, but it’s also a motto for Leanne McGee, Kirsty Marr and Jocelyn Raine.
The three women’s soccer team members and close friends had to spend one year in an NAIA school due to sub-par SAT scores before they came to Memphis this season.
“It was much easier to go through that whole process with them,” McGee said. “They made it 10 times easier than if I had gone alone.”
The trio’s long journey began two years ago at Lindsey Wilson College, where Memphis head coach Brooks Monaghan had arranged for them to go. It ended this summer when the troupe arrived in Memphis.
“We had a good time at Lindsey Wilson and the team did well, but we always knew we’d be in Memphis when it was all said and done,” McGee said.
An assistant coach for The U of M first spotted the trio playing for East Durham Futbol Academy while in England and was dazzled by their raw talent.
Monaghan said that each of the athletes was worth the wait and that each of them has something different to offer the team.
Raine brings guidance and a competitive edge to the field according to Monaghan.
“She brings so much to the game because she’s very vocal,” he said. “(Raine) is a natural leader on the field.”
Monaghan said Marr is full of untapped potential and it will be important for her to continue her development as a soccer player.
“She has tons of ability,” he said. “She’s one of the best technical players that I’ve ever seen.”
McGee has been the biggest surprise of the bunch, scoring two goals and one assist in her first five games at Memphis.
“She has been our best player,” Monaghan said. “She’s a great playmaker.”
Raine said she once considered finishing her career at Lindsey Wilson instead of continuing on to Memphis.
“There was a point when I thought about staying at Lindsey Wilson, but I just wanted more of a challenge than it could provide,” Raine said.
Raine said that she is satisfied with being a Tiger and only regrets that she had to wait an extra year to become one.
“I’m very happy with the decision to go to Memphis,” Raine said. “I just wish I could have been here for my freshman year instead of losing a year of eligibility at Lindsey Wilson.”
The women have helped the Tigers off to a 3-1-1 start this season. Memphis will look to add another win on Friday against Saint Louis University in the Mike Rose Soccer Complex at 7 p.m.
