ARTICLE MSA SPORTS | 21. NOV, 2016 | BY SEAN MEYERS
For many athletes, their greatest achievements occur when they face and overcome adversity. For Jessie Thiessen, missing her entire junior season at Allegheny College could’ve possibly derailed her promising career. Instead, Thiessen came back stronger than ever on the pitch this year. The former Fox Chapel standout is the focus of this week’s edition of the WPIAL Alum Q&A.
In high school, Thiessen was a four-year letter winner for the Foxes, including a three-time offensive MVP for Fox Chapel. Additionally, she was a three-time All-Section honoree, as well as an All-WPIAL selection in her senior year in 2012.
During her tenure, Thiessen enjoyed individual success, but she also helped her team make the playoffs in all four seasons. In 2009, the Foxes won 14 games, followed by 12, 14 and 16 in the subsequent years. Unfortunately, Thiessen and Fox Chapel could not escape the first round of the WPIAL playoffs in any of those years.
In addition to her accomplishments as a soccer player, Thiessen was also a standout for the Fox Chapel lacrosse team. She was a three-year letterwinner for the Foxes, twice earning team MVP.
As a result, Thiessen continued her academic and athletic career for the Gators at Allegheny College, both in soccer and lacrosse.
On the pitch, Thiessen’s freshman year was one to remember, as she lead the team in nearly every offensive category. She scored 11 goals and added six assists, despite starting just two games for the Gators. The team went 11-6-4 that campaign, winning its first North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) tournament championship in program history by defeating Wittenberg. In that historic 2-0 victory, Thiessen tallied. For her efforts that season, Thiessen earned First-Team All-NCAC recognition, as well as the conference’s newcomer of the year award.
Thiessen’s sophomore season was more of the same, as she again led the Gators in goals, assists and points, and earned another First-Team All-NCAC distinction. Unlike the previous year, she started every game for Allegheny, and netted five game-winning goals. The team concluded its season with a mark of 15-7, earning a share of the conference’s regular-season crown.
In 2015, though, she tore his ACL, and missed her entire junior season while recovering.
Undeterred, Thiessen returned to the pitch in 2016, and picked up right where she left off. She started every game, scored nine goals and added six assists. Moreover, Thiessen factored in on 71 percent of the team’s scoring. She again earned first-team conference honors, becoming just the ninth player in program history to accomplish the feat three times. Despite her individual success, though, Thiessen’s play was not enough to guide the Gators to a winning mark, as the team finished 6-10-1.
While her college soccer career has ended, Thiessen still has more action left for the lacrosse team. As a freshman in 2013, she played in all 17 games on defense for the Gators, starting in 10 contests, and scoring four goals. After being sidelined due to the knee injury as a sophomore, Thiessen came back in the spring 2016 campaign, and netted two goals and three assists. For her play that season, Thiessen was a First-Team All-NCAC recipient in lacrosse, as well.
Jessie took time from her hectic two-sport schedule to answer questions regarding her recovery from injury, the differences in training for the two sports, and her favorite holiday.
Q: You rank among the best players in recent memory for women’s soccer at Allegheny College. What were the biggest keys to your success on the pitch?
A: I think one of the biggest keys to success on the field is focusing on the little things and working as hard as you can. I always want to make sure that I am doing the best that I can and that I leave it all on the field. The other big key was having good team chemistry. It is amazing how much team chemistry can determine how a season goes. You cannot be successful without knowing that your teammates have your back and trust you.
Q: With your season just recently concluding, how would you evaluate your team’s play this year?
A: I am really proud of my team and our success this year. Coming off of a tough season last year, we really improved this year and were able to come together both on and off the field. I think we were better than our record showed, and we wanted to go farther than we did, but we are overall happy with the season.
Q: Your college soccer career came to an end, as well. Have you been very reflective of your career since then?
A: I knew the day would come when I would be done playing soccer, but there really is no way to prepare for it. After 16 years of playing soccer, it is hard thinking that it is over. I have been trying to just remember how much I have learned from soccer and how much it has shaped me as a person. I am so thankful for the years that I had playing. This is pretty much the extent to which I have been reflecting about it. Even though I was initially sad when my last game ended, I have not been thinking too much about it since then. I do not think it is really going to hit me that I am done playing until next summer, when I do not go back to Allegheny for preseason.
Q: You missed all of 2015 with an injury. How were you able to return and still play at a high level?
A: I missed my sophomore season of lacrosse and my junior season of soccer due to an ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury. As soon as it happened, I tried to talk to people who have already been through it in order to do everything I could to make sure that my recovery went smoothly. I waited a year before I started playing again. A lot of people say you can play 9 months after recovery, but I wanted to make sure that I was strong enough before I started playing again. The risk of re-injury by coming back too soon is really high, so I wanted to make sure that I did not do anything to risk injuring it again. I was so happy that I waited a year, because I was able to really just focus on my knee and make sure that I was back to normal. When I started playing again, I was so confident in my knee at that point that I could play normally and focus on my sport without worrying about injuring myself again. Getting over the mental aspect of injury, the fear of hurting your knee again, is the hardest part of an injury. A whole year of recovery allowed me to trust my knee and not mentally worry about it.
Q: Was there a particular game or play that stands out during your time with the Gators?
A: I do not think I will ever forget the NCAC Championship game my freshman year. It was a lot of fun! A bunch of other teams at Allegheny came out to watch and they were cheering for us the entire game. It definitely got us pumped up and eager to win. We came out strong and knew what we had to do to be successful. When we won, it was so much fun celebrating with my teammates and then going to the NCAA tournament. It was one of my favorite games that I have ever played.
Q: You also participate on the lacrosse team. What are the difficulties of juggling two sports at this level?
A: I think the hardest part about playing two sports in college is not being with your team during the offseason. During soccer season, it can be hard not being involved in my lacrosse team’s fall ball and then in the spring it can be hard not being involved with my soccer team’s spring season. I do not like missing things for either team.
Q: How quickly do you transition your physical and mental focus from soccer to lacrosse, and what adjustments do you have to make in doing such?
A: I have been playing soccer a lot longer than lacrosse, so I feel like soccer comes a little more naturally to me. When lacrosse season comes, I have to focus on my stick skills and knowing the positioning on the field. I like lacrosse because it challenges me to think a little more when I play. The transition from the physical play of soccer, where you can shoulder another player off the ball, to a little different style of aggressiveness in lacrosse takes some adjustment. I play forward in soccer and defense in lacrosse, so that transition is different because offensive players get to be more creative and it is about reading the defensemen. Playing defense is more about having good positioning and trying to direct the other team. There are also more rules in lacrosse, so that can be an adjustment as well. However, I was happy to hear that last year we were officially allowed to intentionally kick the lacrosse ball. This added a fun element to the game for me.
Q: What led you to attend Allegheny College?
A: I heard about Allegheny because my mom and my grandma went to Allegheny. I knew that Allegheny was a really good school academically, so that was my first priority. My dad always told me that I needed to make sure that if I were to get hurt and never be able to play again, I would still be happy at the school. When I came to Allegheny for my official visit, I just felt really comfortable here. The people seemed really friendly and welcoming. When I visited other schools, I felt nervous but at Allegheny I felt at ease.
Q: What is your major and preferred career?
A: I am majoring in Biology and minoring in Global Health Studies. I am planning on attending Physician’s Assistant school in the future.
Q: You were also a two-sport standout at Fox Chapel. What is your greatest memory from high school?
A: My greatest memory from high school lacrosse was being able to be a captain with my best friend for lacrosse my senior year. Natalie Bonaroti now plays Division I lacrosse at Marist and it was so much fun playing with her. It was an awesome opportunity to lead the team next to her. My lacrosse team had a lot of fun on and off the field that year. My greatest memory from high school soccer was winning the section my freshman year. I learned a lot that season. Coach Duffy was a really good coach and taught me a lot about soccer.
Q: Have you kept in touch with many of your coaches or teammates with the Foxes?
A: I still keep in touch with a bunch of my old teammates, and I sometimes still talk to my lacrosse coach, Jen McCrady, when I am home. Also, I always see what everyone is up to on social media.
Q: What is your favorite food?
A: Ice Cream
Q: Do you use social media much, and if so, which do you prefer?
A: Instagram
Q: What is your favorite holiday?
A: Thanksgiving
Q: What is your secret talent or a little-known fact about you?
A: My favorite place in the world is the Outer Banks, North Carolina.