Fairfield Warde Girls Soccer Standout Thimons Headed To Vanderbilt

The final three colleges on Keegan Thimons' list ran from one end of the spectrum to the other as there were two from the Ivy League (Yale and Columbia) and one from the Southeastern Conference (Vanderbilt).

Ultimately, the Fairfield Warde soccer standout said she was swayed by the southern hospitality and so she will be spending the next four years in Music City playing for the Commodores.

"I knew instantly when I visited Vanderbilt," she said during a press conference at Warde on Wednesday. "I just had a gut feeling this was the school for me. I was very interested in a school that offered strong academics as well as a strong soccer program."

Vanderbilt will be looking to improve on last season's 8-11 finish and Thimons, one of eight incoming freshmen for the Commodores, hopes to be able to play right away.

"It's a great decision for Keegan," Fairfield Warde coach Tom Cunningham said. "We'll be missing her here at Warde, but she had four tremendous years for us. The SEC is a quality soccer conference. She'll really get some good playing time and a great soccer experience."

Boasting a 3.94 grade-point average, Thimons is a member of the National Honor Society and the National Math Honor Society. She plans to study psychology/psychiatry at Vanderbilt.

"I would love to be able to get some playing time as a freshman, but I know I will definitely have to work hard to earn that as well as everyone else on the team," she said.

Thimons was a member of Warde's varsity team for all four years and earned all-FCIAC honors in each of the last three seasons. This past season, she helped the Mustangs reach the finals of the FCIAC playoffs.

Thimons also plays club soccer for the Connecticut Football Club, and coach Dave Flower has seen her progression over the past couple years.

"When she first came to my team, youth-16, she'd play some games and not play some other games and then she got really hot at the end of the season when we won the state cup and went to regionals," Flower said.

"She continued along from there. It was at the right time because Vanderbilt saw her play. They saw her play at regional camp and they came after her, so it's very good timing by Keegan."

Thimons won state championships in 2010 and 2011 in the Elite Club National League, which encompasses 13 eastern states. As a member of that team, she ranked roughly among the top 100 players in the country in her age group.

Thimons also scrimmaged with Brandi Chastain, a former member of the United States national team that won the women's World Cup in 1999, as a member of the U-16 Olympic Development Team camp last February.

"I think I would describe myself as a very determined player," Thimons said. "I would do anything to get where I need to be or to play at any level. Playing (at Vanderbilt) freshman year, my determination will help me in at least gaining playing time or even being able to scrimmage or travel with the team.

"I just think I bring a positive attitude and a determination to push myself as well as others around me."

The 5-foot-10 Thimons also is a versatile player, playing a number of positions at Fairfield Warde, and Flower thinks that will help her as she gets adjusted to college soccer. Her natural position is on defensive midfield.

"If she doesn't start in her favorite position, she still could get minutes other places because of her versatility,"  Flower said. "As she said, she's very hard working and tough, so she'll find a way."

The only drawback is that Nashville is a 14-hour drive, which will be an adjustment for her parents who saw every one of her games in high school.

Still, with mostly a Friday-Sunday schedule, they do plan to get to some of her games at Vanderbilt, which is about a two-hour fight from Connecticut. In addition, they will be able to see a number of games on television.

Logistically, Yale or Columbia would have been easier, but it's hard to argue against Vanderbilt.

"It's an oustanding academic school," Molly Keegan said. "It's right up there with the Ivy League schools."