WORCESTER—To say that senior Nicole Jodoin has made an immediate impact as a student-athlete at South High would be quite an understatement.
The attacking midfielder/forward who transferred from Worcester Academy last October, scored an eye-popping 13 goals in her first two games for the Colonels (2-0) last week.
In the season opener against Burncoat on September 3, she found the back of the net seven times in a dominating 11-1 win. For an encore, she wrapped up the week with six more tallies in a 9-0 shutout of Doherty on September 5. Two games, 13 goals and two Inter-High wins—now that’s how you make an entrance.
The transition from Worcester Academy to South has been nearly seamless for Jodoin who didn’t play prep school/high school soccer last fall. It appears that Jodoin, who has committed to play soccer at the University of Lousiville next year, is more than making up for lost time.
“It definitely was a change. I’ve never played this kind of public school regular season soccer,” said Jodoin. “The girls are amazing and it was a very welcoming environment. I took on this season with a positive attitude. I try to play every game 110 percent and not back down. We keep it fun but strict.”
So why did she decide to transfer to South? Surprisingly, it had something to do with a sport other than soccer.
“Ironically, it was for basketball,” said Jodoin, who took the opportunity to play hoops for South coach Diago McClain. Jodoin has known McClain for years, playing basketball for the Sting AAU program. This past winter, Jodoin was a member of the South team that finished the season 23-2, falling just seven points away from winning a state championship.
Known for her aggressive defensive play in basketball, it’s offense that is her specialty in soccer. Her touch on the ball, combined with an arsenal of impressive moves makes her a very difficult mark for opposing defenses.
In the Doherty game, the Highlanders tried a physical brand of play against Jodoin but it didn’t do much to hinder her overall offensive approach.
“You give her an obstacle and she’s going to overcome it anyway she can,” said first-year South head coach Taylor McGrail. “Not only is she one of our more dominant players, but she’s also a team player. She’s a playmaker.”
Her playmaking skills were on display against Doherty as Jodoin served up several impressive feeds to teammates, including a slick assist to setup a goal scored by sophomore Juna Hoxholli in the second half. She is also a vocal leader on the field for the Colonels.
“She brings a fighter mentality and I mean that in the best way possible,” noted McGrail. “She brings up the ante of wanting to compete and these girls see it and they want to compete with her. I tell them I can teach the game, but I can’t teach them to compete and they’ve really risen to the occasion.”
Jodoin, who plans to study sports psychology at Louisville, is one of five senior captains for South along with Myrna Hochkeppel, Phoebe McDermott, Olivia Robeau and Sienna Hurley.
“Those five are role models for this team so everyone really looks up to them,” said McGrail.
While Jodoin has scored 13 of South’s 20 goals thus far, she truly understands the importance of teamwork and collaboration in the game of soccer.
“You can’t just do 11 v 1. The girls are very good and they work really hard.” acknowledged Jodoin. “It’s a good environment to be in. We’ll be successful if we keep this energy and keep cheering each other on.”
McGrail, a former soccer player and 2012 graduate of Burncoat, agrees that one of South’s greatest strengths this season is its team chemistry.
“Not only are we good friends on the field but we are also very cohesive off the field,” said McGrail.
The Colonels return to action on Tuesday, September 10 when they host Worcester Technical High School.
Mike Vigneux is a freelance writer in Worcester with more than 20 years of experience in the fields of municipal government, communications, and public relations. An avid fan of all sports, Mike enjoys telling the stories of local athletes and their teams. He holds two degrees from Clark University, a bachelor of arts in Communication and a master of science in Professional Communication. He can be reached at Mikevigs@gmail.com
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