Message from Assistant Director of Sports Information Trevor Wenners: We will be featuring our outstanding student-athletes with a top-moment series. On every Monday and Wednesday during the next eight weeks, we will highlight one standout moment from the 2019-20 season. Every Panther program will be featured once during the series. You can see these stories on our Panthers' athletic website or through our social-media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
SETTING THE STAGE:
Sophomore midfielder Sydney Dailey of the LaGrange College women's soccer team has been nothing short of outstanding, as she has improved every day during her first two seasons for the Panthers.
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She has compiled 11 goals, eight assists and 30 points in her collegiate career, to go along with four game-winning goals. The Carrollton, Georgia, native has earned USA South Player and Rookie of the Week honors, but her humility and team-first mindset define her character. Dailey has been the Panthers' representative on the conference's All-Sportsmanship Team during the past two seasons, as she constantly leads by example and offers words of encouragement to her teammates.
Dailey has the full arsenal of skills for a top-level soccer player. Her shots have a great of velocity but are also incredibly accurate. She wins 50-50 battles all the time and is strong on the ball, to go along with exceptional speed, conditioning and field vision. The versatile athlete takes a great deal of pride in setting up her teammates, with her seven assists in 2019 being good for the sixth most in a single season in program history.
The sophomore standout led the 2019 team in assists (7), points (19) and game-winning goals (3), while sitting in a tie for first with six goals. The seven assists were tied for the fourth most in the USA South. Dailey exploded with a career-high, five-point performance, featuring two goals, an assist and the game-winner, in a 4-0 win over Talladega on Sept. 18.
Dailey made an immediate impact from the first time she stepped foot on Panther Field. She finished her rookie campaign with five goals and one assist. She tallied her first-collegiate goal and assist in a 7-0 win at Sweet Briar on Sept. 23, 2018.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
The one moment that stands out the most from Dailey's career happened on Oct. 12 at Panther Field. In a USA South game against Berea, LaGrange took a 1-0 lead in the 15th minute on a goal by sophomore Dynasty Burchett.
The visiting Mountaineers evened the score in the 79th minute, as the goal had the potential to devastate the Panthers' spirit. Dailey refused to let that become a reality and was not going to settle for anything but a Panther win. LaGrange showcased a great amount of mental toughness down the stretch.
Dailey went in on goal by herself in the 87th minute after receiving a terrific through ball from freshman Christina Shanahan. Dailey stayed patient, forcing the goalkeeper to commit during a 1-on-1 situation. The driven young woman dribbled around the goalie and buried her fourth-career, game-winning goal into a wide-open net with 3:38 left in regulation.
SYDNEY DAILEY'S REACTION:
"That moment has to be the most exhilarating play I have ever been a part of in my soccer career. As soon as Christina Shanahan played a perfect ball through Berea's defense with just minutes left in the game, I knew that I needed to do whatever I could to put our team ahead. Running to my teammates after that goal was scored is a moment I do not know if I will ever fully be able to put into words. It was a moment of pure joy, pride and relief. I wanted all my teammates to know that it was everyone's goal because it took all of our energy, passion and willpower to win that game."
Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lagrange.edu.
