Hamilton's Mari DellaVecchia brought the offense, and it brought her a college scholarship
HAMILTON - The girls soccer season was supposed to be low on offense.
Nearly all of the local high school teams lost their leading scorers from a year ago - except Hamilton, and Mari DellaVecchia made sure to let teams know she was still around.
The senior responded with 17 goals and four assists as teams struggled to slow her down.
"We relied on Mari to put the ball in the back of the net for us all season, and as a seasoned veteran on the squad, she consistently came through for us," Hamilton coach Tyler Robinson said.
Now, DellaVecchia will look to come through for a new team.
The forward signed with Indiana Wesleyan to play soccer in the fall.
"I chose IWU because of the school culture," she said. "The professors, coaches, and the players were all so kind and welcoming from the second I walked on campus. Even after I left they still check up on me and get to know me a very individual level. So throughout my college search I found myself comparing every school that I was looking at back to IWU. So I know that is where I belong."
It is an opportunity DellaVecchia doesn't take lightly.
"I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to be apart of the IWU women's soccer team. I'm so beyond excited for this next journey. I think that all of my coaches I've had have prepared me well for this - especially coach Robinson, he knows what it's like to be a college soccer player," DellaVecchia said. "He knows how hard you have to work and has pushed me since day one to put in the time because it does make a huge difference."
If DellaVecchia can continue her growth and strength, college opponents will have their eyes on her - or their eyes will be looking at the back of the net.
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Hamilton's Mari DellaVecchia brought the offense, and it brought her a college scholarship
