With One Cut, Stevenson's Eyler Scores Conference Goals Record

When forward Stephanie Eyler made her trademark cut in the box and scored her second of three goals versus Hood College to break the Capital Athletic Conference’s career goals-scored record, she put behind her a year of frustration.

After her first two seasons as a Mustang, the women’s soccer star had scored 43 goals and was the CAC’s Player of the Year after striking 22 times during her sophomore season.

But a broken foot that summer crippled Eyler in 2010, when she scored just six goals – still good for the team lead, but well below the lofty expectations demanded by her tremendous freshman and sophomore years.

“When you score that many goals your first two years, and you’re now being double teamed and you have this injury [it’s tougher],” said Stevenson coach Graeme Millar. “Everyone knows who she is, every defense knows about her. They know you’ve got to shut down No. 11."

Millar said Eyler “didn’t have the speed she was used to having” last season. But now, fully recovered, the senior forward is reminding the CAC why she’s the most prolific goal scorer in conference history, having broken the old record of 54 goals set by Goucher's Sarah Weaver in 1997.

Millar said he intentionally didn't tell Eyler she was close to the record, but the modest senior said she was more focused on the team’s accomplishments.

It's not been a bad career for a player who wasn’t even sure she’d get playing time after graduating from Catoctin High School.

“Coming in as a freshman, I was just hoping that I would get playing time,” Eyler said. “I didn’t know what to expect from college soccer.”

It was college soccer, though, that had trouble adjusting to her, as she immediately made a statement by scoring 21 goals in her freshman season. Blessed with speed, agility and an attacking mindset, Eyler was named Freshman of the Year and became a fixture in Millar’s starting lineup.

But aside from physical ability, Eyler possessed a composure that allowed her to make plays where other forwards would not.

“It's her technique, at the end of the day, inside the box. We have players that get in the box and get chances, but just can't finish,” Millar said. “I’ve probably never seen her really excited, she doesn’t get real sad either. She’s very composed in the box. I don’t ever see her nervous. She’s very calm and collected.”

As for how she finishes, both Millar and Eyler seemed surprised that opposing defenders have not found a way to stop her more consistently.

“She just cuts the ball,” Millar said. “And just had a quick release, just drills the ball, left or right foot.”

It was a move Eyler said she developed with the help of a youth soccer coach in Thurmont, MD.

“He would drill it in my head about this cut,” she said. “Now what I always do is cut the ball and shoot. I guess I can thank him a lot.”

Having gone through the struggle that was 2010, Eyler – who has already surpassed last season’s goals total with seven scores in 2011 – just wants to take advantage of what little is left of her college career.

She hasn't thought much about her new spot atop the conference’s all-time scoring leaders. Maybe she never will, she said.

“I definitely think it’s cool. I don’t know how much I’ll look back on it,” Eyler said. “Honestly, I just go out and play for the love of the game. I’m just trying to enjoy my last year.

“This is a one-time thing.”