Following her parents’ footsteps, Carmel’s Sophie Shepherd forges her own path at Huntington University
By RICHIE HALL
Huntington University was already a familiar place for Sophie Shepherd.
“Both my parents went here, and my dad graduated in ’98,” said Shepherd. “He played basketball here and my mom played soccer here.”
Sophie Shepherd followed in their footsteps and headed north to join the Foresters’ women’s soccer team. She became a major contributor for Huntington, quickly making her way into the starting lineup scored six goals during her freshman season, and most importantly, found friends along the way.
“I feel like I’m having more fun here at Huntington because I found the right people,” said Shepherd.
Not only is Shepherd a second-generation Forester, she also was part of a new wave of players for the Huntington team. Shepherd was one of 10 freshmen listed on the 2023 Foresters roster. While many of them played on Huntington’s junior varsity team, Shepherd said the freshmen are sticking together.
“We are all close,” said Shepherd. “It doesn’t matter what team we’re on, we’re all still close together.” Shepherd is one of three Carmel natives on the team: Her older sister Caroline Shepherd is a junior on the Foresters’ squad, while Ellie Cirrincione is a sophomore defender for Huntington.
Sophie Shepherd played on varsity from her very first game. The Foresters opened their season Aug. 17 at St. Mary-of-the-Woods, falling 2-1. Shepherd had six shots in that game.
“It was a lot of pressure because I came in knowing that I was going to play,” said Shepherd. “I was just thankful that my coaches trusted me. My first game wasn’t as nerve-wracking as I thought it would be.”
It didn’t take long for Shepherd to score her first goal. Huntington returned home on Aug. 22 to play Cleary, and won 2-0, with Shepherd finding the back of the net in the 35th minute to get the Foresters’ second goal.
“It was such a great feeling,” said Shepherd. “I just felt the rush of excitement and all my teammates were so happy for me. I just knew it was the start of something good.”
“Sophie has added a spark to our offense,” said Huntington coach David Lewis. “She has good attacking speed with the ball at her feet and has a striker’s scoring mentality.”
Shepherd came off the bench for the Foresters’ first three games but moved into the starting lineup for their Sept. 6 game at Manchester. Huntington won that contest 9-0, with Shepherd putting in two goals. She would go on to score six goals during the season.
“I definitely could tell that I was contributing,” said Shepherd. She said that it’s difficult for coaches to sub in all the time, so if she puts in a full effort, good things will happen.
“Goals and assists, that shows the contribution that I put through,” said Shepherd.
“Teams know that they need to contend with Sophie,” said Lewis. “So besides her own scoring threat, she will draw attention to herself and it will create scoring opportunities for her teammates.”
Off the field, Shepherd is a business marketing major. She said her teachers help her balance her schoolwork while playing soccer.
“Everyone was pretty understanding,” said Shepherd.
She also enjoys playing for Lewis, who has been the Foresters coach for five years. Prior to that, he spent 28 years as the coach of Houghton College in Buffalo. During his tenure, the Highlanders qualified for the NAIA national tournament 12 times and averaged 14 wins per season.
“Coach Lewis is such a great coach,” said Shepherd. “He has really helped me in my confidence. Being a Christian school, he really exemplified that we are playing for Christ. We can also play soccer while praising the Lord.”
“As a team, we value servant leadership,” said Lewis. “Our first-year players are served by the veteran players. New players are first in line at post-game meals, only upperclassmen can lug equipment to and from storage, etc. The example set by the older players demonstrates the importance of service. Sophie and her teammates are encouraged to embrace this process of leadership through service – to BE good teammates – to be the uplifting voice of grace and encouragement to one another.”
Overall, it’s been a solid first year for Shepherd as a Huntington Forester. She wanted to thank her parents and coaches for the opportunity, “and for all my teammates that lift me up. I’m so thankful and blessed to play for them,” she said.
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