By Robert Pelaez – STAFF WRITER

The Hofstra women’s soccer team is 11-4-1 on the year and with the recent win over Northeastern on Friday, the Pride took over sole possession of first place in the CAA with a 5-1-1 record.

While the team shows promise and can certainly do some damage throughout the remainder of the season, I took time to sit down and ask one of the team’s freshmen, Jamie Delaney, some questions about the life of a freshman athlete.

I had the pleasure to go to the same high school as Delaney and it is clear to see that there is some adjusting to athletic life to be done in the collegiate level compared to high school. However, utilizing the support of veteran teammates and coaches like Jamie has can truly make for an incredible recipe for success.

Robert Pelaez: Now into your first semester here, how has college differed from high school for you?

Jamie Delaney:Academics are definitely much tougher, however, I benefit and prefer lectures and the professors here have been really great with that. Definitely being a student-athlete is stressful, and it’s harder to manage both athletics and academics. Soccer alone, with practices and having to do treatments, it’s a lot more than what you’re accustomed to in high school. With it comes more reward though, and that makes everything absolutely worth doing, and it’s all really exciting.

RP: Have the upperclassmen on the team helped you in academics as well as soccer? And how?

JD: Yeah they definitely have, I have a lot of really good, responsible friends who are seniors, and that set good examples for myself and the other girls on and off the field. They have also been doing this for the past three, three and a half years, so it’s nice to have the experience there as well. It’s really encouraging to see that they can maintain it, because it helps me believe that I can too. As for soccer, preseason was extremely rigorous and having them there for support and advice is really great and I appreciate it all the time.

RP: What would you say is the biggest part of the team’s success this year?

JD: I think that the relationships between the players and the coaches have been outstanding this year, which has been really nice to see. We’re doing really well in the standings also, this being second-highest that Hofstra has ever been ranked at No. 25. At the end of the day, win or lose though, we all know we have each other’s backs and that reassurance has gone a long way.

RP: What is a typical pregame meal for the team?

JD: Well, we definitely carbo-load the night before our games, which is the most important meal. And usually on away trips we’ll go to an Italian restaurant or a steakhouse and get a big meal to prepare us for the next day. When we’re on campus, it’s our jobs to eat properly and stay hydrated throughout the day.

RP: Who has been your biggest role model in any aspects of your life?

JD: I would say Bruce Lee. I’m a huge fan of him. He’s a specimen of discipline and cared about others greatly. He valued his body and his mind, and personally, I think it’s something everyone should strive to achieve everyday. Whether it was bettering the mind, or bettering the self or even others, he knew it was a valuable asset to have in life.