Reid Adjusting Well to New Role

AMES, Iowa?Senior Elise Reid had been a major focal point of the Iowa State soccer team's offense for the better part of her career as a Cyclone, but the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, native has made a seamless transition to defense at the midway point of her final campaign.

A 2007 second-team All-Big 12 Conference honoree as an offensive central midfielder for the Cyclones, Reid easily could have bristled at the notion of moving to the less-celebrated role of defender. Additionally, Reid could have felt that someone who ranks second all-time in program history for shots on goal should continue to play in an offensive role. However, Reid has done the opposite, as she has enjoyed her late-career change.

“I really like the feeling of tackling somebody really hard,” Reid said. “I also think one of the best feelings is shutting down someone who is supposed to be a great offensive player.”

Reid also feels playing in the defense gives her a new forum to utilize her skills.

“I think some of my strengths are dribbling and using my speed,” Reid said. “Coming out of the back gives me a lot more space and time to dribble and try to start the attack from the back.”

Iowa State head coach Wendy Dillinger feels Reid has been a more than adequate addition to the Cyclone back line.

“We experimented with moving Elise to defense last spring because of injuries to other players, and she stepped back there and did a great job,” Dillinger said. “Once we started to play in the Big 12 this season, we decided to take a look at it again and see if it was good for the team and for her and the answer was yes. Once she got back there and realized she had a lot more time and space to attack once we got the ball to her, she embraced it. Playing defense also allows her to play a longer stretch of time. She has great speed and reads the play well, and Elise can shutdown anybody.”

Reid said moving to defense was somewhat ironic because it was an area of her game she had often been told needed the most improvement.

“It's funny because I have been criticized for being bad at defense my whole life because I was always played forward or central midfielder,” Reid said. “I used to struggle with going forward and having to get back in the defense. Being so offensive minded, I didn't really think much about defense until I kept being told it was such a weakness of mine. I started to work on it and found I was better at defense than I thought. Wendy started trying me in the back because she wanted more speed back there. We tried it out and it worked out, and I found I really liked it.”

Like any good senior leader, Reid wanted to put the team first and was willing to make the adjustment. However, she was initially concerned that a mistake in the defense would prove much more costly than a mistake would have while playing a more offensive role.

“At first, I was little apprehensive because I didn't want to be the one to mess up in the back,” Reid said. “It is all working out because I really like it, and I just wanted to do what was best for the team.”

Reid and fellow seniors Elisa Berzins, Casey Bothwell, Lauren Fader, Ann Gleason, Amanda Nimtz and Adrianna O'Neill will play their final matches at the ISU Soccer Complex this weekend. The Cyclones play No. 14 Texas A&M Friday at 7 p.m. and face Texas Sunday at 1 p.m. Sunday's match with the Longhorns will also serve as Senior Day to honor the seven departing Cyclones.

Players Mentioned

Elisa Berzins

Elisa Berzins

Casey Bothwell

Casey Bothwell

Lauren Fader

Lauren Fader

Ann Gleason

Ann Gleason

Amanda Nimtz

Amanda Nimtz

Adrianna O'Neill

Adrianna O'Neill

Elise Reid

Elise Reid

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