On Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, Hatboro-Horsham senior Miranda Royds was recognized for signing a letter of intent to continue her soccer career at Lehigh University. (Photo provided)
Miranda Royds – Lehigh University (Soccer)
Major: Bioengineering
Final list of colleges: Lehigh, Penn, Dartmouth
Reasons for choosing Lehigh: “When I was on my search for schools, I was really looking for a school with great academics – mainly the sciences. The amazing opportunity to be a student-athlete at one of the best institutions in the country for engineering was something I couldn’t pass up.
“I went on my visit, and as soon as I stepped on campus, I really felt at home. The coaching staff was extremely welcoming, the girls were awesome – they were so friendly. It was a place I really could see myself preparing for success, and I really want to be at a place I could see myself spending the next four years.”.jpg)
What was the progression that led you to competing in soccer at the collegiate level? “When I was little, I played basketball and softball, and going into high school, I really fell in love with the sport of soccer. I wanted to focus on that a lot more. I started to train a little harder, I started to play for a more serious club team, I got a lot of college showcase exposure. I always knew from the beginning of high school that I wanted to play a college sport, and it would be soccer.
“I committed in the fall of my junior year, but I really started to get interest from colleges in the middle of ninth grade, the beginning of 10th grade.”
Coach Ike Onyeador says: “In terms of what makes her so good, there are two main things – number one, a passion for what she does. She loves the game of soccer, she loves being a goalkeeper, and that’s certainly evident in the way that she plays. On the field, it’s her athleticism and her consistent technical ability. She’s super clean technically, she’s tremendously athletic, and particularly in the women’s game, those types of things are things that help out tremendously, having that ability in spades, and she’s at the top of the charts when it comes to that stuff.
“We have some pretty quality girls on the team, but she might be the second sweetest girl on the team behind our other goalkeeper, Danni Repkoe. We’ve got a core of the nicest goalkeepers you could ever have. She’s the type of person you can be around all day every day. Obviously, it’s a tribute to her parents and how well they raised her because she’s a fantastic person. I can’t say enough about her.
“Lehigh is getting a tremendous player. One of the things they’re getting is someone who has such a passion for their sport and for doing it well. Regardless of where you’re at, you always want kids that enjoy the sport. I think at any level except the pros it’s tough to get kids that really bleed for the sport. That’s what I think they’re getting – not only a kid that bleeds for soccer but bleeds for the goalkeeping position and wants to be as good as she possibly can at her position.”
About Miranda:
Favorite food: Grilled chicken
Favorite movie: Rudy
Favorite music: Grouplove
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