2019 Leominster High graduate Maria Spylios wasted no time during her freshman year with the UMass Boston women’s soccer team. Spylios started all 22 games for the Beacons during her first season on campus in the fall of 2019, posting an 18-3-1 record and a program record 13 shutouts.
Her stellar play earned her Little East Conference Second Team honors as one of the best goalies in the conference, where she led the league in minutes played, goals against (15), goals against average (0.69), shutouts (13) and total wins (18). Those 18 wins are also a program record.
Spylios was named the LEC Goalie of the Week on September 23, November 4 and November 13 and Rookie of the Week on October 15. She also led the Beacons to a pair of shutouts in the LEC Tournament and went into the NCAA Tournament riding a 390-minute scoreless streak.
Looking back at her freshman year, Spylios said her teammates helped her adjust to college soccer.
“When we first started off my freshman year, just getting to know all the girls was great,” Spylios said. “They really made me feel welcome and part of the team and that made it easy to transition and they were all in front of me.”
“We had a pretty strong defense in front of us and I know I didn’t face that many shots during the games but the ones that I did face I saved for the most part,” Spylios added.
Spylios’ second season on campus was wiped out due to the pandemic, but all signs are pointing towards a full season this fall.
Spylios played two seasons of soccer at LHS, where she played forward to work on her foot skills. She even scored a goal in first varsity soccer game during her sophomore year.
Spylios also played club soccer with F.C. Stars, where she worked hard to improve her skills in goal, a position she started playing when she was 10 years old when her Leominster Youth Soccer coach Marty Castles first put Spylios in goal. Since then, Spylios has developed a true passion for the position.
“I love the thrill and the adrenaline rush that comes along with the feeling of making a save,” Spylios said. “Right after making a save, the feeling of getting up and that rush is great. Also the feeling of just winning a game, winning a big game, and having all your teammates come running at you, that’s great too.”
Spylios said her time at Leominster High was a great experience in terms of preparing for college.
“Leominster High School definitely prepared me for college,” Spylios said. “I definitely had to work on my time management skills throughout high school, especially during my junior and senior years, because that’s when everything got more serious. It was nice for me because I had my mom with me all four years at the high school and I learned a lot from all of my teachers.”
Among Spylios’ favorite teachers/administrators at LHS were of course her mom, as well as Mr. Freel, Mr. Barnaby, Ms. Daniello, Mr. Grutchfield, Ms. Montaruli, and Dr. Dubzinski.
Spylios is currently majoring in Sports Leadership and Administration and is considering adding a minor in Economics. She said she started out on a completely different academic path.
“Don’t stress out too much about what you want to do in the long run because when I went to UMass Boston I started out in Criminology,” Spylios said. “Then I switched to undecided right after the first semester and I really had no idea what I wanted to do but eventually something will click for you and you’ll know.”
As for playing a sport at the college level, Spylios said it’s definitely a step up.
“You definitely have to put a lot of work in,” Spylios said. “Comparing college soccer to high school soccer, it’s a lot more time. We are in the weight room almost every day and we’re out on the field almost every single day in the fall for two hours. We have about a month off in the winter and then right when spring comes around, we’re right back in the weight room training for next season.”
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