Paramus Soccer Star Earns Time With Seton Hall

It still hasn’t fully sunk in for Kristina Meier.

Last year, around this time, the former Paramus High School soccer star was playing in the Bergen County Tournament with the Spartans.

But just last week, Meier, a freshman defender for Seton Hall, saw time against defending National Champion Notre Dame.

“I still have to stop and think about it,” the 2010 Paramus graduate said. “It’s crazy how fast time goes by."

Meier has started nearly all of Seton Hall’s games so far this season, and she was the first sub off the bench in the ones she didn’t start.

Despite her fast start, Meier admits she had some jitters before playing her first Division I game. But after meeting her new teammates and getting on the field, she felt right at home, and is now focused on helping her team make the Big East tournament.

“Starting as a freshman, I didn’t want to mess up," Meier said. "But as soon as the whistle blew, I was very comfortable.”

Meier knew Seton Hall head coach Kazbek Tambi, the former Ridgewood star and current Paramus resident, prior to attending Seton Hall. The coach helped her adjust to the college game, which Meier notes is “much faster, much more physical, especially being in the Big East—it’s very tough.”

Sophomore Ashley Clarke, a Paramus native and former Immaculate Heart standout, also helped introduce Meier to her new teammates.

The Pirates needed a defender, and Meier has filled the role capably. She was a midfielder at Paramus, but played defense when she was younger.

“I’m definitely more comfortable playing back," Meier said. "It’s easier for me to just know I have to distribute to the offense through the midfield.”

Meier admits she misses taking the pitch for Paramus, as well as playing with her former Spartan teammates, but she enjoys the tougher competition at Seton Hall.

As a former high school athlete, Meier said she was prepared for the demanding schedule and balancing act between academics and athletics. A nursing major, Meier goes from an early morning practice to a lifting session, which is followed up by several classes. She spends much of her free time studying, especially on road trips.

A fomer three-sport athlete, Meier is now fully committed to soccer and she said, “it still hasn’t hit me,” that she won’t have basketball and softball to follow. Mentally, she still feels like she’ll have to prepare for the sports once the soccer season is done.

She’ll continue to practice with the soccer team in the offseason, but “I’ll definitely be going to watch the [basketball and softball] games,” Meier said.