LEAH
ROBINSON SPOTLIGHT9-20-02
A major reason the VCU women's soccer team is off to its best start at 6-1, as well as a big factor in the rise of the program over the past three seasons, is the subject of this week's Ram Spotlight: junior midfielder Leah Robinson (Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia). Three years ago, the Rams suffered through a 3-15 season that included a winless conference campaign. Enter coaches Denise Schilte-Brown and Chris Brown, who brought in Robinson and four other current starters in their first recruiting class. The Rams have since made two straight appearances in the semifinals of the CAA Tournament due in large part to the play of that recruiting class and Robinson, who became the program's first-ever two-time All-CAA first team selection.
"When I first talked to Denise about coming to VCU, she said they were looking to bring in some good players to turn things around here," Robinson said. "I was really excited to come in and improve the program, and we've seen the progression each year. This year, we're 6-1 and really playing well."
Robinson has been an impact player in the midfield for the Rams since deciding to come to VCU, tallying 14 goals and 10 assists for 38 points in 46 games, including four goals and two assists so far this season. She already ranks fourth in both goals and points on VCU's career scoring lists with many games left to play. Her impressive numbers along with her aggressive and sometimes spectacular play on the field, have put her into a leadership role on the team, a role she hadn't embraced earlier in her career. "I didn't speak up much when I was a freshman," she said, "but we had Ziggy (former Ram Shanna Ziegenfuss) as our leader. As I get older, I've learned to step into that role. But I tend to lead more with my play than my voice."
On top of her accolades at VCU, Robinson also earned perhaps her most significant honor when she was called up by the Canadian senior national team to represent her country in the prestigious Algarve Cup in Portugal during the spring of 2001. The native of Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, earned a total of five caps for Canada and remains a member of the national team's select pool. "I can't describe the feeling I had of putting on the uniform for my own country," she said. "It was amazing. The practices were really tough and the players were just unbelievable. Plus, I got to travel to Portugal and Sweden, and I played against China, which has some of the best players in the world."
Now her focus returns to helping the Rams put together their best season to date. Although Robinson has been an integral part of the team's success, an outstanding group of newcomers have lifted the Rams to new heights so far this season. Midfielders Sandra Anger (Cuguen, France/Louis Bascan), Hedda Gardsjord (Oslo, Norway/Donski) and Solveig Haaland (Mosjoen, Norway/Mosjoen) have helped lessen Robinson's workload in the center of the park. "The coaches brought in some great players that really strengthened our team," she said. "We have a strong bench, with no real weak spots on the team."
Robinson is pleased with the progress the team has made, but she doesn't feel the rebuilding process is complete until her team earns the respect of the top teams in the conference. "We all want to go out and win the big games against teams like James Madison, William & Mary and Richmond (whom the Rams face tonight at UR Soccer Complex)," she said. "We know they don't respect us, but we haven't earned it yet. We want to earn their respect by beating them, so there are no excuses why we're not respected as a team."