By Bob Sutton
Special to The Alamance News
Molly Widderich’s second season of college soccer has a more familiar feel for the former Eastern Alamance star.
Widderich is playing as a forward for William & Mary.
“I feel I play more freely there,” she said. “I’m less worried about turning the ball over, so I can play more like myself, less reserved.”
William & Mary visited first-place Elon for Thursday night’s Coastal Athletic Association women’s game. It was a chance for Widderich to play in her home county.
“It was really fun to come back here and know so many people from Mebane were going to come,” Widderich said after chatting with well-wishers and former teammates just a few steps from Rudd Field following the game.
She also reunited with Elon sophomore Gabby Hoschek, a midfielder who’s from Raleigh and had played with Widderich on travel teams.
Widderich was the leading scorer on Eastern Alamance’s 2023 state championship team (girls’ soccer is a spring sport in North Carolina). As a William & Mary freshman last year, she was slotted as a defender.
Now, she’s on the front line as one of the Tribe’s starting forwards.
“I just think she can play anywhere on the field,” Tribe coach Julie Shackford said. “What she offers on the attack is what we need.”
For Widderich, she said that’s more like the role she played for Eastern Alamance.
“We like to move around a lot,” Widderich said of her college team. “On our team, a lot of people can (do different things). I was playing more like a wingback. It’s kind of like a natural progression from a wingback to more of a forward role.”
It has mostly worked out.
“I think she has done well,” Shackford said. “Gets lots of crosses.”
Unfortunately for Widderich, she has been prone to dealing with a broken nose. She suffered a broken nose last year in a home game against Elon.
Then in the game prior to the recent visit to Elon, she suffered a broken nose again against College of Charleston. An opposing player’s attempt at a flick header resulted in contact with Widderich’s face.
So Widderich had to dig out the face mask she wore a year ago to cover her nose.
“I rebroke it, so I’m back in it for six weeks,” she said.
The Tribe won six of seven games, including last month’s 1-0 victory at North Carolina State, before hitting a recent rut.
“We were riding a really big high,” Widderich said.
Elon won 2-1 in the CAA meeting.
After a scoreless first half, Elon took the lead on freshman Jess Beck’s first collegiate goal. William & Mary’s Elaina Longjohn tied the score before Isa Murdock’s winner in the 84th minute.
The Phoenix improved to 10-1-1 overall, 5-1-0 in CAA play. William & Mary fell to 7-7-0, 4-4-0.
