University of Massachusets Athletics
Nigh Among Nation's Best
November 18, 2002 | Women's Soccer
Nov. 18, 2002
Rhode Island. Iowa State. Auburn. Michigan. Xavier. Boston College.
Six instances in the fall 2002 season for the UMass women's soccer team. Six sides - six degrees of a sort - of the multi-dimensional junior co-captain and goalkeeper Kelly Nigh.
Sheer, unadulterated remorse and pain. Nigh makes 16 saves as the Minutewomen fall by a 5-0 score to a conference and regional foe in the Rams. More so, it happens on the day a memorial is dedicated in the memory of fallen teammate Stephanie Santos at Rudd Field.
Total joy and relief. As UMass finally registers its first win of 2002, a shutout on top of that as Nigh makes 10 saves in the 1-0 victory over Iowa State. The collective exhale of relief was tangible from all involved with the soccer team.
Intensity on the field. After letting a close game versus a nationally-ranked opponent in the Tigers slip away from them, the co-captain rips her team with a verbosity that would make a trucker blush. Or, in this case, the head referee.
Compliments off the field. After losing to nationally-ranked Michigan, former Minutewoman, current UMass Hall of Famer and coach of the Maize and Blue Debbie Belkin-Rademacher lauds the nine-save effort of the Seattle, Wash., native, "Kelly Nigh was amazing. She was able to shut us down from everywhere."
Lighthearted humor and perspective. With eight saves in a 2-1 win over recent nemesis Xavier in the books, a muddied and drenched Nigh watches with a wide smile as her teammates take full advantage of Hurricane Lili, sliding through puddles on the rain-clogged pitch. By the way, the Musketeers have ended the last three seasons for UMass.
Concentrated effort and will to compete. Weeks prior to her scheduled return from injury, Nigh anchors UMass with a 12-save effort in a 1-0 loss to a very experienced Boston College squad. And all of this occurs in the face of her first game-conditioned action of the fall in the season opener as well.
The sixth of the six degrees pretty much got the ball rolling for Nigh as a Division I player and captain. Yet, intrigue ensues when you first hear that Nigh has had to: one, step into net as a starter behind the career of a conference player of the year and current WUSA champion; and two, step into the role of captain after being a two-year understudy possessing as much D-I experience as the rest of her team. On the surface, very intriguing questions that could pose very tough answers.
Yet, what the Boston College match did do was dispel any doubt on whether or not Nigh would be able to handle the job placed in front of her. She was the picture of calm, cool solidity and everything else has happened from there. Any questions were answered as the 2000 Seattle Times Female Athlete of the Year single-handedly gave a young and inexperienced side a chance to win against a more-weathered opponent.
The work rate, mind set, intelligence, humor, candor and understanding that are intrinsic to her personality is almost custom fit for this time of her career. It is like everything she has done in her life has led up to this moment, this situation.
"I believe I put a lot of emotion into soccer, it is what I do," Nigh said, concerning her multi-faceted personality. "Playing college soccer was my dream growing up and I spent an uncountable amount of hours working to achieve that dream. In any aspect of life, including division one soccer, certain things will never meet your expectations, but the drive was and is there and it's important not to lose sight of the passion you once had. I guess as a captain in small ways I try to remind people of that; that despite the normal mental and physical wear-and-tears of the season, you are still on that field because it is what you do.
"One thing I have learned is that actions are not only larger than words but they are also what makes people believe your words. Follow through is important and trust has to be earned. So, as much as possible, I try and lead by example. I go out with all my heart, work hard and try and put the team first."
Goalkeepers, in any sport, are a rare breed. Often enough sentiments of outright goofiness and instances of head-scratching superstitious behavior follow this undertaking. Self-critique comes with the position but can be dangerous if taken beyond the normal daily dosage. Comfortable at conversing in regards to a box on a corner kick she should have made or the role of the boxer Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull, this Renaissance Woman of sorts doesn't let the stress of the position overly consume her.
"This season has been frustrating personally at times because ultimately it is my job to keep the ball out of the net and in certain games, things haven't swung our way and it's only natural to put blame on yourself," Nigh said. "I am learning to channel that into something more positive now with the experience this season and realize that everyone makes mistakes. But it's important to learn from them and move on. I have a lot of work to do still and look forward to becoming the goalkeeper I will be.
"But I do love it out there. I love the glory and I love the respect because I know that there are few people with the ability and the insanity to throw themselves, literally, at the feet of an opposing team. I love being unique and I love being the last piece that can tie it all together in that huge puzzle that is a team. I love the ability to make or break a game and the challenge of just being a hero."
After a six-month period that saw the team lose two seniors to season-ending injuries and most of all, lose a close friend, confidant and soccer prodigy in Santos to a fatal car accident, an early end to 2002 was not beyond the realm of possibility. They are only human. Articulate to the last, Nigh hopes the team will challenge all the questions before the final answers are given.
"There is a lot that can be said about this season and the forces that have created the path we have taken so far," Nigh said. "I think early on everyone had to step back and swallow a little pride and realize that it could potentially be a rough season if we allowed it to be. Things aren't handed to us anymore - if they ever were. But each game we have gone through, each experience with one another, with coach, with any other stimuli, has taught us something.
"We are the only ones who know what it feels like to be in the numerous positions we have been in this year - losing by 5, contending with ranked teams, dealing with the loss of a teammate - and that is one of the things that ties us together. I think we are realizing that more so now as we are realizing that our goal is obtainable. We can make something of this season and this team, despite the fact that many people, perhaps even ourselves, gave up on a long time ago. But ultimately, we knew we could do it all along, and it's exciting to see the improvement and the drive to do so."
