Rising senior Abigail Fitzsimmons wants to keep improving
MENDHAM, N.J. — Mendham Minutemen girls soccer current junior and rising senior Abigail Fitzsimmons, who plays forward and the midfield, has a ton to prove next season. She feels the team hasn’t even reached their peak, nor does she believe she has either.
Fitzsimmons began playing soccer at a young age and was inspired to play because her older brother paved the way initially. She followed in the footsteps of her brother, but she manifested a legacy of her own. She played a multitude of sports before choosing to focus primarily on soccer in high school, including lacrosse, cheerleading and basketball.
Growing up, she played several positions before finding the position that best suited her needs and attributes. She originally played goalie like her brother, but in sixth grade, while she continued playing goalie, at halftime they would often switch her to the striker position.
“My brother was a goalie, so I was a goalie too for like a long time until sixth grade,” Fitzsimmons said. “I did half of a game goalie and half striker. When the goals got bigger, I switched to only playing on the field.”
Fitzsimmons’ thoughts and impact on the Minutemen
Fitzsimmons has improved dramatically compared to her sophomore year, per NJ.com. Her sophomore year, she scored eight goals and one assist, which are stellar numbers. In her junior year, she has six goals, six assists and is accounted for 18 points throughout the year. While the goals have gone down, she has become an overall better and more effective soccer player. The work within the off-season is clearly on display and she continues to build upon the success she’s achieved.
Fitzsimmons also mentioned how playing alongside juniors Sonja Zeepvat and Sara Brandt has had a huge effect on their team’s success. She spoke about how they have been playing sports with one another since sixth grade and how that chemistry has helped them naturally communicate and trust one another on the field.
Fitzsimmons also mentions the important role the Minutemen’s head coach, Sean Goldsworthy, plays in building chemistry and allowing the players to be authentic and confident in their own right.
The turning point of the season
Both the coaches and players noted that their toughest and most meaningful win this season came against the Montclair Mounties. For Fitzsimmons, her most impactful game came when they were defeated by West Morris Central under the lights. The game was significant to not just her but the entire team because of the abrupt passing of the late great Ed Grasso.
“Unfortunately, we lost, but this game was so much more to us than just another soccer game,” Fitzsimmons emphasized. “The game represented memorabilia and his legacy and although we couldn’t pull it out for him, we left everything on the field. And that’s what he would have wanted from all of us.”
Fitzsimmons’ future plans after she graduates
She has shown interest in playing soccer at the collegiate level. She has yet to receive any offers or any interest from scouts, however, it only adds more fuel to the fire. Fitzsimmons would like to play on the east coast, close to home for support reasons. Her favorite colleges and universities she would like to attend and play soccer at are Gettysburg, Syracuse and Fairfield.
She offers advice and words of encouragement to any young girls who are interested in playing the soccer and also just in general. She finds peace and joy when she can help guide or lead a teammate or friend to a specific goal of theirs.
“To all the young girls out there, try not to take for granted any games or teammates,” she said. “For example, earlier in the season we lost one of our best players to injury and it was abrupt and nobody saw it coming. Just never take anything for granted because you never know what can happen.”
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