By Jonathan Sawyer
Sports Editor
The St. Bonaventure Women’s soccer team has had an up and down year so far.
But one player in particular, junior forward Danielle Vis, has been the Bonnies’ main offensive threat. Vis leads the team in goals (4), points (10), shots (29) and shots on goal (16).
Vis said without her team she wouldn’t be where she is today.
“Everyone is doing a lot of things differently this year, and we are getting a lot of passes together,” Vis said. “Working and feeding off everyone is why we are successful.”
Vis was named Atlantic 10 Player of the Week this past week. In Sunday’s matchup with the Bryant Bulldogs, she matched her career high in points in a single game with four. She is already halfway to her career highs and is on pace to break them by the end of the season, which she described as surprising to hear.
Head coach Steve Brdarski said Vis’ hard work and attitude are reasons why she has been so successful.
“I think she is one of the humblest people you will ever meet, and on the other hand, she is never satisfied with what she has accomplished,” Brdarski said. “She comes every day ready to work and is always up for the challenge.”
Brdarski says over her time here with the Bonnies, her belief in herself has been the biggest change.
“I think in the last three years, the biggest difference might be that every day [Vis] gets more and more confident,” Brdarski said. “She wants to be successful, but understands that, being a part of a team, you can be successful in many ways. I honestly think she could have scored more goals her first two years, but [Vis] is not a selfish person — she does not see her stats, all she can understand is how can she help her teammates and our program to play the best we can be and win.”
Vis is humble about her leadership on the team, saying that everybody, especially the freshmen, play a part in being a leader.
“They came in and are leaders as well, they [freshmen] came in with such confidence and ability, that it made it easy, they listen and are doing awesome things,” Vis said.
Vis credits everyone from her family to her coaches on her success.
“Since I’ve been growing up, I have had great coaches, great players to play with; I am in a competitive league back home,” Vis said. “Everyone attributes it to my family pushing me through soccer and everyone being supportive around me, my teammates now and Coach Steve.”
Brdarski said that Vis works to make everyone else around her better.
“She competes with everyone every day in practice and tries to bring out the best in her teammates. Many players in her position, I think, could easily just yell and scream at players to make them do things,” Brdarski said. “She has a ton of respect for her teammates, and I think they respect her for that. Her impact as a soccer player is great but does not come close to the person she is everyday to her teammates and the SBU community.”
Vis hopes her team can stay successful, as the team has entered Atlantic 10 play.
“Hopefully we can keep getting wins, that’s what’s the most important, and every day just keep connecting together and finding ways to get goals and having shut outs,” Vis said.
Vis and the Bonnies will look to head on the road to take on George Washington Colonials in their second A10 game of the season, game time to start at 1 p.m.
sawyerjp15@bonaventure.edu
