Throughout the fall, the Caldwell University Athletic Department will be highlighting its Unsung Cougars from the past. Over the coming weeks, CaldwellAthletics.com will recognize these Unsung Cougars and share their memories from their time at Caldwell. Our first Unsung Cougar is Women's Soccer alum Laura Del Corral (Piskadlo) '02.
| What is your favorite memory/game during your playing career? |
I played on the first ever female soccer team at Caldwell. We didn't have a good run our first year, and we struggled to get a few wins under our belt. There were several schools we played, like St. Thomas Aquinas, Georgian Court, and Holy Family, who continually had winning records. My favorite game/games were our first wins against these schools. One by one, we started to win games against our toughest opponents and establish a name for Caldwell Women's Soccer in the CACC conference. My favorite memories surround the trips home on the bus after these games. We were all close friends, and had some great times together!
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| Why did you choose Caldwell? |
To be honest, Caldwell was not on the list of schools I was interested in during high school. I knew I wanted to pursue a degree in Physical Therapy early in my Sophomore year, and I was leaning toward schools that had transitional Masters Programs in PT. I was approached by the new Caldwell Women's Soccer coach at a match, and she was the one that recommended a visit to Caldwell. Caldwell was close enough to home that I could see my family on the weekends, but far enough that I had my own independence. I was lucky enough to receive a full scholarship due to my academic achievements in high school. I transitioned to college with 12 credits, and was able to play my favorite sport. That choice was one of the best I have ever made.
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| What made Caldwell special to you? |
There are several things about Caldwell that made it special to me. I decided to live on campus because of the time I needed to dedicate to soccer. At that time, Caldwell was a big commuter school and the students that lived on campus all knew each other. We all lived in one dorm! I loved that we were able to get to know each other, welcome new students to the dorm every year, and get to see each other on our short walks over to classes. Teachers knew their students well, and administrators were very involved in student life. Because I was a Biology major, my classes were smaller and I was able to get more 1:1 time with teachers. Caldwell also did a great job helping me to find classes that would work into our soccer schedule.
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| Name a favorite class or professor/advisor/staff member and how they had a positive impact on you during your time at Caldwell. |
I knew several of my professors well during my time at Caldwell. Dr. Angelina Scimone was one of the most influential teachers I've ever had. I admired her intelligence, her dedication to her students, and her overwhelming love and dedication to her family. She would often teach our evening class with her son sitting on her shoulders! She was the Chair of the Science Department at that time, and taught several of the upper level Chemistry courses. She really brought out my love for Chemistry. Her classes were small, and some were tutorials where we could come and do the work separately when it fit into our schedule(which worked well with soccer). She was always understanding, supportive, encouraging and positive, especially when I needed that the most during my Senior year.
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| What is your current occupation? |
I am currently a Doctor of Physical Therapy and work in the acute care setting in a local hospital where I live. After Caldwell, I went on to Temple University which had a very competitive, condensed three-year doctoral program from which I graduated in 2005. I have worked in several different hospitals and outpatient clinics in many different states during my career.
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| Who is the toughest opponent you played against and why? |
I think our toughest opponent was probably Holy Family. They were the only team that would beat us by 4-5 goals. We would dread the trip to Philadelphia because we felt like we never had a chance. We did end up winning against them at some point, but if I remember correctly, it was only by 1 goal!
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| What piece of advice would you have for current CU student-athletes? |
I'd encourage the student-athletes at Caldwell to stay focused. Stay focused on your goals, on your team, on your academics, and on everything else you do. Focus will always bring success. There are times when balancing school and sports can be challenging, but that focus will push you through to whatever goal you have for yourself.
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| What would you say were your greatest athletic and academic accomplishments during your time at Caldwell? |
I don't feel like I have very many athletic achievements during my time at Caldwell, but my coach thought I was a leader and named me Captain every year. I was extremely honored to be Captain, and really took that seriously. I felt a strong responsibility to the team, and I think the girls felt comfortable coming to me if they ever needed anything. Either my junior or senior year, I was named to an all-conference team and led the conference in assists. I was also pretty proud of the several goals I had while playing in the full back position. It's not usually the position of glory.
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| How did your athletic involvement aid in the path that you chose following graduation? |
I was always interested in athletics, and played several different sports in high school. I wanted to be in a profession that involved exercise and sports, but focused on the movement of the human body. Just that involvement in athletics helped push me toward the Physical Therapy profession. Beyond that, I have nothing but amazing memories of my time at Caldwell. It only encouraged my love for soccer and team, and I continue to play in several indoor soccer leagues to this day. I have two children who play sports at an advanced level and I would highly encourage them to play in college as well.
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| How have your teammates or coach impacted your experience at Caldwell and beyond? |
Well I had some amazing teammates at Caldwell, and I still keep in touch with several of them. Those bonds last forever, and I bet if we played a pickup game it would feel like we never stopped playing together. We also went through a few coaches during those first four years, but we ended up with the best one out there. Elizabeth Roper was not only a great coach and confidant, but also a great friend. She ran with us, and played with us, and she'd answer the phone if any of us called her at any time of the day. She was extremely supportive of me when I returned to play after my dad passed away during the attacks on 9/11. Senior year was a tough year for me, and she helped me transition back to school and soccer in the easiest way.
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