There are over 80 clubs at Elizabethtown College, and as of three years ago, Women’s Club Soccer is one of them.
Madison Eisenhart, a fifth-year occupational therapy student, founded the Women’s Club Soccer team in 2022. She played for the Etown women’s soccer team for two years, her first and second years at Etown.
“I stepped away due to mental health,” Eisenhart said.
There was already an established Men’s Club Soccer team and intramural soccer options in 2022, but no Women’s Club Soccer.
“I found out about the Men’s Club Soccer team and noticed there was never a girls team and was like, ‘why the heck is that,” Eisenhart said. “I knew I still wanted to play soccer as it was one thing I could use to get away from everything, and I know other girls that wanna play, so I created it.”
In 2022, the team had 15 players and ended with a 1-3 record.
“It was hard to get people to join the first year,” Eisenhart said. “There were three track girls I ran with, two of which had quit the women’s team, that wanted to play soccer again, and we were able to get a solid 15 girls the first year.”
In 2023 the team had 22 players and ended with a 3-4-1 record. In 2024, the team had 27 players and ended with a 1-5 record.
“I love being on a team where we can laugh at practice, and get dinner as a team, and enjoy away games as much as home games because it is just pure fun,” second-year Julia Finley said.
The Women’s Club Soccer team played other club soccer teams in the surrounding areas of Etown. They played a combination of NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III teams that never intimidated Etown’s Women’s Club Soccer team, Eisenhart said.
“I have been playing soccer since I was 5-years-old,” Eisenhart said. “I am proud of myself for people being able to make something like this. I tend to push things off and I wanted to make a difference within myself and within the Etown community.”
As the fall season ends, the question becomes, who will take over next year?
“As the club founder she (Eisenhardt) definitely carried a lot of work with her,” club Vice President Ally Osiecki said. “But, because this work was not distributed to more people it will be tough to keep the club going at the same pace next year without her. The club is a super fun
group and I love the energy of all the girls. It means a lot to me that we were able to create this atmosphere and hopefully keep it going next season.”
Lauren Klinedinst, a third-year student, has shown some interest in taking over, but has not fully committed yet, Eisenhart said.
While the future of the club hangs in the balance, players like Osiecki and Eisenhart have to wait and see if the club will be able to continue into next season.
