Westfield State University’s Delaney Parker (Orange, Mass.) knew she wasn’t going to surprise opponents this year.
As a freshman last fall, Parker led the nation with 31 goals and set a new WSU single-season record for goals and points (70). She was the MASCAC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year, as well as an All-New England Third Team selection.
When you burst onto the scene and post those kinds of eye-popping stats, it makes an encore performance the following year a daunting task.
"This season, I know it’s been a much slower start than last season," said Parker. "It’s been more mental for me than physical, because I knew coming into the season it would be much harder because I would have more eyes on me -- on my team or from different teams. I’ve noticed increased pressure on me, on and off the field. I’ve had a lot of people saying to me 'hey, you haven’t scored yet,' and that was before I scored, of course."