Soccer
Favorite athlete: Abby Wambach because she gives 110 percent every second she is on the field and will do anything for her team to win.
Favorite team: U.S. women’s soccer team because they were so exciting to watch last summer in the World Cup, and I can’t wait to watch them again this summer in the Olympics.
Favorite memory competing in sports: Most recently probably beating Pennridge this year. It was just a league game, but after we won, we celebrated like we won a national title, and it was really exciting because they are a really good team. Also, when I committed to UNH, it’s probably something I won’t forget.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: When I was little (I guess it was like U-9 or U-10), I played for a team called the Montgomery Mustangs, and we had this big stuffed animal horse, and we would put a team jersey on it as our mascot, and my mom would ride it up and down the sidelines, cheering every time after our team scored. I’ll admit was pretty funny though.
Music on iPod: All kinds of music, but my favorite right now is the country band Sugarland
Future plans: Play soccer at UNH
Words to live by: ‘Don’t worry, be happy.’
One goal before turning 30: Graduate from college, figure out what career I want to pursue and have a family.
One thing people don’t know about me: I haven’t eaten meat since I was five, and I have no clue what it tastes like.
Kellie McGoldrick, according Ben Winderman, represents everything that is good about Hatboro-Horsham soccer.
“If we had a poster for Hatters’ soccer the last four years, Kellie would be on it,” the Hatboro coach said. “She gets the most out of herself athletically, and she has to work hard for it.
“She’s not fast and dynamic athletically, so she has to be smart and she has to be focused. I’m just so impressed with her consistency this year.”
Beyond her contributions on the soccer field, McGoldrick, according to her coach, is a high character person.
“She’s one of those kids who will do anything for anyone,” Winderman said. “She’ll score the game-winning goal, and then she’s the one carrying the water jug. She’s good to everyone on the team.
“She stays late, gets there early. In this day and age where some of the good players are some of the toughest ones to deal with, she’s just a delight.”
McGoldrick, a four-year starter, is the captain of this year’s Hatter squad that finished behind only Pennridge in the Continental Conference standings. The central midfielder has scored seven goals, including a pair of game winners.
“It’s become her team,” Winderman said. “She became more comfortable in the role of senior leader.
“She does anything that we ask, and against the best players in the league, she’s consistently outperformed them.”
McGoldrick has been playing soccer since she was five years old. She played basketball for several years and tried ice hockey, but soccer has always been her passion - this despite the fact that her mother – Betty (Newby) McGoldrick – was an elite field hockey player who competed at the University of Delaware and advanced to the final cut for the U.S. National squad.
“I just always liked soccer,” McGoldrick said.
She began playing club soccer when she was nine for Montgomery United and more recently is playing for AC Delco.
Last year, McGoldrick anchored the Hatters’ defense at sweeper, a position she also played as a sophomore.
“She loves going forward and getting involved more but never did anything but played where we asked her to play,” Winderman said. “I just have so much admiration for her.”
This year, McGoldrick is back at the central midfield spot she occupied when she came on board as a freshman. The senior captain also brings positive leadership to the squad.
“No matter how things are going – you can count on her,” Winderman said. “She will always play hard. Losing is part of this whole experience, but you know she’s never going to quit, she’s never going to lose heart.”
An avid soccer fan, McGoldrick lists Abby Wambach as her favorite athlete, not for her ability as much as for the effort she puts out every time she steps on the field.
“She’s a real live soccer fan,” Winderman said. “There are some kids on our team that don’t even know what the Women’s Professional Soccer League is. Kellie knows the players. She’s just a real authentic soccer fan, soccer player and a good quality person.”
McGoldrick will be taking her talents to the University of New Hampshire, the recipient of a soccer scholarship. She admits UNH came out of nowhere.
“I had a list of schools that I was interested in, but the list was too optimistic for me,” the Hatboro senior said. “There were some big schools. My dream schools were Florida, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt. I definitely was not good enough to play there.”
Last spring, McGoldrick was asked to guest play for another club squad – PA Classics.
“A girl on their team had torn her ACL, and they needed a center back,” she recalled. “They called on a Tuesday, and on Friday, I played for a team and a coach I’d never played for in my life.
“Right before the tournament, I was like, ‘You know what – I need to make a new list of coaches and schools to e-mail.’ UNH was on my new list.”
The UNH coaches saw McGoldrick play in a pair of games and invited her for a visit. The rest is basically history.
“I loved, loved, loved the campus so much,” she said.
McGoldrick – who is undecided on a major but leaning toward business - visited St. Joseph’s, St. Francis and Towson. Pitt was also in the mix, but it was UNH that easily won out. She made a verbal commitment to attend the New England school on April 5.
“The campus is 10 minutes from Portsmouth and the seaside where the ocean is, and it’s really pretty,” she said. “In another half hour, you also have the mountains.
“It’s not in the city, but it’s a half hour, 45 minutes from Boston, so if you want to go to the city, you can. It’s a medium-sized school, and it was just a really good fit for me. I love the coaching staff. It was just awesome how it worked out.”
It’s a happy ending for a player who has watched a pair of teammates she was very close to leave the program. Last year, her younger sister Katie, also a standout soccer player, transferred to Christopher Dock.
This year, her close friend, Carly Black – who also will be playing soccer at the collegiate level – opted to play volleyball instead of soccer.
“I’m the kind of person in general that – I’m not a negative person, and when things happen, I try not to let them affect me personally,” McGoldrick said. “When my sister transferred, I wanted the best for her. She wasn’t happy, and she’s doing awesome at Dock, and it’s good to see her succeed.
“When Carly left – she’s playing soccer in college, and she’s an awesome, awesome soccer player. She wanted one more year to play volleyball with her friends on the volleyball team, and I completely understand where she’s coming from.”
It is not uncommon for McGoldrick and her teammates to be part of Black’s rooting section at volleyball games.
“We made posters for her and cheer her on in the games,” she said. “We’re still close and we still support her. I try to look at the positive side of things.”
An honors student, McGoldrick’s course load this year includes honors classes and one AP class.
As for soccer, McGoldrick’s season isn’t over yet. She and her Hatter squad will enter postseason play next week.
“She’s been through every kind of team,” Winderman said. “Her freshman year, I think we won five games, and it’s so nice and rewarding seeing her heading into playoffs with one of the better teams and being a big part of that. She’s the one that kind of pioneered this program.”
