Former Oak Hill girls soccer standout Courtney Smith had her dream come true when she signed to play college soccer at West Virginia University.
Turns out, her dream location was actually about 60 miles south of the her hometown of Fayetteville at Concord University.
“It has been a long journey, but I didn’t feel like WVU was the right place for me. Coming (to Concord) is probably the best decision that I could have made,” Smith said. “The team is amazing. We have come really far and we have finally reached our potential and it is really exciting.”
In a strange twist of irony, while Smith and her teammates were earning Concord’s first-ever regional wins in the NCAA Div. II Women’s Soccer Tournament, WVU had its 21-year streak of consecutive NCAA Div. I Women’s Soccer Tournament appearances snapped this month.
“I learned a lot about myself as a player on and off the field (at WVU). I really feel like that shaped where I am today as a player,” Smith said. “I am grateful for the opportunity to go there, but I feel like I am where I am supposed to be now.”
Concord University women’s head soccer coach, Luke Duffy was familiar with Smith prior to her entering the transfer portal.
“I coached Courtney one year in the (Olympic Development Program), so I knew she was a great player,” Duffy said. “It was a credit to her to be recruited to a program like WVU, a national powerhouse in Division I. I saw she was in the portal and I reached out to her as soon as possible. I’m thankful that she reached back out to us and we began the recruiting process.”
Over her three-year playing career at Oak Hill, Smith scored 106 goals and earned all-state honors. In her final season in a Red Devils’ uniform, Smith scored 40 goals and had 26 assists.
Now playing her first full season for the Mountain Lions, Smith has settled in nicely this year. The junior forward leads the team with 16 assists, which places her second in the nation, and she has also scored four goals.
“I think she was a little excited about being closer to home. She is a great teammate and has thrived in our environment,” Duffy said. “I knew she was going to be very good for us. She came in last year, but we didn’t have a fall season. She did really well for us in the spring Covid season. With this being her first proper season, she has done fantastic.”
Smith’s performance throughout the season also earned her a first team selection by the Mountain East Conference voters, as well as a first team nod on the All-Atlantic Region Women’s Soccer team.
“I feel like my team helps me be confident. They really put a lot of trust in me and they motivate me,” Smith said.
After defeating Frostburg State in the 2021 MEC Women’s Soccer Tournament, the Mountain Lions earned a bid to the postseason.
Concord then made history by knocking off Mercyhurst 3-1 in the opening round of the NCAA Div. II Atlantic Region Tournament. The Mountain Lions backed that win up with a 4-0 shut out win over Bloomsburg in the Round of 32.
“We have a lot of chemistry on and off the field. We all love each other and play for each other,” Smith said. “I feel like that sets us apart from a lot of teams. It’s team effort for each other.”
The next round of the tournament for Concord will be played in Beckley at YMCA Paul Cline Memorial Youth Sports Complex Thursday.
Thursday’s foe will be a familiar one – West Chester University. The Golden Rams defeated Concord in the opening round of the 2019 tournament, the Mountain Lions’ only other appearance in the NCAA Div. II Tournament.
“We are looking forward to it. It will be a good experience for the girls,” Duffy said. “(West Chester) has a very good program. I think we will use the previous loss as motivation, but any team that makes it to a Sweet 16 match is going to be a tough challenge. It’s one that we will be ready for as well.”
