Senior midfielder Emily Crotty loves being a leader for Andrew. It’s in her blood.
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Some girls decide to give up high school soccer entirely to play on the club circuit. But Crotty, a savvy veteran with a powerful presence, is a Thunderbolt through and through.
“I love playing for Andrew,” Crotty said when asked about her leadership abilities. “All of the girls are super nice. We have a lot of underclassmen and young players.
“It makes me really happy to be around people who find joy in the game.”
Crotty continued to come of age Monday night, producing two goals and an assist for Andrew in a 7-0 SouthWest Suburban Conference victory over host Homewood-Flossmoor in Flossmoor.
Senior forward Olivia Nelson tallied three goals and senior midfielder Maxine Arvanetes also scored for Andrew (3-2, 1-0). Sophomore goalkeeper Cherron Calhoun made seven saves for H-F (2-5, 0-1).
Crotty, an Illinois-Chicago recruit, is off to fast start for the Thunderbolts. She has nine goals and two assists this spring. She dominated against H-F despite only playing in the second half.
“She’s not only a great player, she’s a great teammate,” Nelson said of Crotty. “Even when she’s not in the game, she’s cheering people on and communicating.
“She made a big difference in the second half with her athleticism and work ethic.”
Andrew led just 1-0 at halftime on a goal in the 12th minute by sophomore forward Hattie Mendelke. Crotty needed less than five minutes into the second half to score on a penalty kick.
“She just makes a really big impact, on and off the field, in everything that she does,” Mendelke said of Crotty. “This is my first year playing with her. With how she plays, she sets an example.”
Crotty, who’s in her fourth year on the varsity, had the ideal mentor and role model in older sister Leah. Emily, four years younger, walked into Andrew’s welcoming culture and felt at ease.
“I always looked up to her and she made a great pathway for me coming into high school,” Emily said of Leah. “Just having her there definitely helped a lot.”
Rather than feel pressured to match her sister’s achievements, Emily developed at her own pace.
“I already knew a bunch of girls who played with my sister,” she said. “Right from the start, we had a bunch of players that knew how to play together.”
Leah began at Illinois State, where their father briefly played football. She’s finishing her college career at Coastal Carolina. Growing up, she starred in track before jumping full time into soccer.
Emily, meanwhile, also played basketball until high school.
“it really helped with my quickness and speed,” she said. “I knew I wanted to take soccer to the next level. My sister was training every day and working out and I hopped on that path with her.”
The competitive edge and the desire to match her sister was so great they often had to call a timeout and interrupt games against each other.
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“When I was in middle school, I wasn’t really hyper competitive, but it really developed with my sister,” Emily said. “Watching her at Andrew really pushed me to be the best I could be.”
As a junior, Emily matched her sister by earning all-state honors. Away from the game, she loves to travel, with a particular fondness for her adventures to Mexico and Europe.
She’s outgoing and friendly but also a free spirit who paints her nails bright pink.
“Soccer is definitely a big part of my personality,” she said. “Growing up, I always played it anywhere. I just think my work ethic, mentality and mental toughness are because of soccer.”
Patrick Z. McGavin is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.