A Look Back On The Career Of Melissa Kennedy
Southeastern Women's Soccer Coach, Dominic Stross, knows it will be difficult to replace senior forward Melissa Kennedy. That is a given.
Kennedy, who graduated this past December, leaves as the program's all-time leader in points, goals, and assists.
It's hard to imagine that her storybook career at Southeastern almost didn't happen.
After graduating from Royal Palm Beach High School in 2006, Kennedy had many opportunities to play college soccer, and Southeastern was not even on her list. Several schools were interested in Kennedy's talents, and NCAA II Lynn University (Boca Raton, Fla.) offered her a scholarship that summer, which Kennedy quickly accepted.
However, after rededicating her life to the Lord later on that summer, Kennedy and her mother felt that she needed to continue to look at different schools in Florida.
"Both of my church pastors graduated from here (Southeastern) and my mom's aunt and uncle live here in Lakeland, so we figured we would stop and check out the school," said Kennedy, reflecting on the situation. "We came here for a half of a day, and when the second chapel started, I was in tears and knew this was where God was calling me to spend the next four years of my life."
She then reconnected with the coaching staff at Lynn and politely declined their scholarship.
With her bags now packed for Lakeland, all she was hoping for was a chance to play soccer with the possibility of starting her freshman year. But it didn't take long for Kennedy to impress the Southeastern coaching staff, and she was quickly in the starting lineup for the Lady Fire's season opener versus Florida College.
"When I came, freshman year, and started my first game, I was on my knees thanking God that night," added Kennedy. "I couldn't believe it, starting my first freshman game. It was a miracle."
Kennedy dished out two assists in her first career game as Southeastern defeated Florida College, 6-0.
She went on to lead the team with 25 points on nine goals and seven assists. She was named a First Team All-Region Player as she helped guide the Lady Fire to a 15-5-1 record and an NCCAA II National Tournament berth.
"Melissa came in with a good amount of technical ability, and she played club soccer for a very good team that had many players go Division I and Division II," said Head Coach Dominic Stross. "Melissa could have also gone D-I, so she had experience playing a high level of soccer. She was able to transition quickly to the college game."
As a sophomore, Kennedy once again led the Lady Fire offensively, scoring 22 goals to go along with 10 assists to finish the season with 54 points. Her 54 points and 22 goals were the second best totals ever in a single season at Southeastern.
Despite still being considered an underclassman, Kennedy was not just growing on the field, but becoming a leader off the field as well.
Over her four years at Southeastern, she has been an active member in the Southeastern Athletics Department's Leadership Institution, a program designed to help train team captains on each athletic program. She served in the Leadership Institute as the chair over Life Skills, helping other athletes prepare for life outside of college.
She has also been a captain for Coach Stross since her sophomore year.
"Something I will take from Southeastern is the spiritual aspect," she adds. "I am a completely different person now then when I came here in 2006. The captains, my freshman year, took me under their wing right from the start. They invited me to their Beth Moore Bible studies and poured into my life right away. I never once had the chance to fall back into my old lifestyle. Yes, there were days where I dreaded waking up for chapel at 8:00 in the morning, but hearing God speak to me and developing spiritual disciplines that will carry into my post-college life is something I will treasure for sure."
After leading the Lady Fire to another top-five finish nationally, Kennedy was named the 2007 South Region Player of the Year. She was also named an NCCAA II First Team All-American.
Now entering her junior year, Kennedy was a major target of defenses, but despite the extra attention, she continued to lead the Lady Fire offense and put up big numbers.
In 2008, she set the Southeastern and NCCAA D-II record with 77 points and 33 goals. In just three seasons, she became the school's all-time leader in points (156), goals (64), and assists (28).
"Honestly, when I first joined a competitive travel team at the age of 10, I barely ever started," Kennedy remembers. "I was lucky if I played a whole half, and I thought my coach hated me. So every day after school I went in my back yard and dribbled, I would do moves over and over. My parents took note, and that year for Christmas they bought me a soccer goal to put back there and I would shoot for hours. When my right foot got tired I would start shooting with my left."
It seems the practice paid off, as she helped the Lady Fire win its third straight South Region title. That year, she also helped the Lady Fire to a second place finish nationally, as they came up just short in the 2008 NCCAA II National Title game, losing 1-0 to Baptist Bible College.
Individually, she won her second-straight South Region Player of the Year award while once again being named an NCCAA II First Team All-American.
With all the success and accomplishment, it is hard to find any faults, but still some questions remained entering her senior season as Southeastern moved into the NAIA's Sun Conference.
For one, could Kennedy continue to score goals against tougher NAIA opponents, and could she hold up physically through a grueling Sun Conference schedule?
"I think her senior season was probably her best," added Stross. "I thought she could put up good numbers and I expected her to, and she did not disappoint. She could have started for any team that we played against."
Kennedy answered all questions her senior year as she led the Sun Conference with 73 points and 31 goals.
Kennedy finished her senior season in the top five nationally within the NAIA in points, points per game (3.32), goals, goals per game (1.41), shots per game (7.05), and shots on goal per game (4.23).
In her nine games versus Sun Conference opponents, Kennedy scored 11 goals and added six assists for 28 points. Versus Embry-Riddle University, this year's Sun Conference winner, Kennedy scored two goals and added an assist as Southeastern lost in a close game, 4-3.
For her achievements, she was named a Second Team All-Conference, becoming the first Southeastern player in school history to be named all-conference in the Sun Conference.
"Although soccer is a sport where individual skill is noticed, one individual can't get the job done," Kennedy stated. "There is no way I won any specific game based on my own skill. Honestly, I was successful because my team and coach believed in me. Although I practiced a lot when I was younger, I definitely make mistakes, but no one ever stopped encouraging me."
Southeastern finished the 2009 season with a 16-6 overall record and a respectable 4-5 record in the Sun Conference in the Fire's first year there, finishing in sixth place.
The Lady Fire grabbed the No. 1 seed in the 2009 NCCAA II National Tournament and cruised to the championship game for the second consecutive season, but was upset by Manhattan Christian College, 2-0, in the championship game.
With the tough loss, one might think a player's senior season could be ruined and all the memories be dampened. But not for Kennedy; her optimistic attitude just celebrates all the accomplishments and memories.
"My most favorite memory at Southeastern is winning the South Region Tournament each and every single year, baby," she adds. "What a privilege to be a part of that."
Kennedy ended her career at Southeastern with 229 points, 95 goals, and 39 assists. While at Southeastern, Kennedy along with her teammates compiled a 64-18-4 record with four South Region titles and four NCCAA II top five finishes.
She graduated with a degree in sports and recreation management and ended her Southeastern academic career with a 3.25 gpa.
If things were not exciting enough, Kennedy recently became engaged to Ryan Young, a recent Southeastern graduate who is a youth pastor now in Pompano Beach, Fla. The two met at Southeastern and are planning to be married on May 29, 2010.
"Once Ryan and I are married, we will live down South in Coconut Creek," adding Kennedy. "So until then, I will be looking for a job down there during my stay up in West Palm Beach. We chose to stay down South to be close to the church so the kids will be able to come and hang out. Plus, I don't for see myself leaving the beach any time soon."
Career Achievements
Southeastern All-Time Records
Goals: 95
Assists: 39
Points: 229
Goals in a Season: 33
Points in a Season: 77
South Region Awards
2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 First Team All-Region
2007, 2008, 2009 South Region Player of the Year
NCCAA II Awards
2007, 2008, 2009 NCCAA All-American
2008 Top Offensive Player
2009 Top Offensive Player
Sun Conference Awards
2009 Second Team All-Conference