As an English major, my understanding of soccer is embarrassingly limited to the early 2000s masterpiece, “She’s the Man,” mainly because it is a modern twist on Shakespeare’s “Twelfth Night” (my comfort zone) and, to be honest, I will always be devoted to Amanda Bynes. Beyond that, my soccer expertise maxes out at analyzing Channing Tatum’s on-screen goals (and maybe indulging in a few zoom-ins on his abs, strictly for the sake of my journalistic integrity, of course).
But on the sunny Saturday morning of Sept. 28, hours before a big home game, I found myself chatting with someone who actually knows soccer — Lewis & Clark’s offensive powerhouse and reigning Women’s Soccer Player of the Week, Celeste Schreifels ’25.
Schreifels, one of the team captains and 2022 Northwest Conference Honorable Mention, is in her fifth year and final season with the team, having earned an extra year of NCAA eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic her first year. We settled into chairs in Pamplin, a building for athletes and exercise, which is clearly not my usual hangout spot. The hallway was buzzing with activity, sweat and adrenaline as the women’s soccer team and Griswold Stadium prepped for their home game against Pacific Lutheran University.
After a standard college icebreaker (“What’s your major?”), I learned that Schreifels is majoring in International Affairs with double minors in Hispanic Studies and Political Science. Hailing from Newbury Park, California, she is balancing preparing for graduation and studying for the LSAT. Oh and, by the way, she is just three goals away from breaking the conference record for career goals. No big deal.
When I was preparing for this interview, I saw a headline: “Schreifels’ Hat Trick Gives Women’s Soccer NWC Opening Win Over Willamette.” I turned to my roommate, utterly clueless, and asked, “What the heck is a hat trick?” After some patient explaining (it is when the same player scores three goals in a single game — who knew?), I was in awe. I can barely coordinate walking, seeing as I currently have a bruised knee from tripping.
Here, Schreifels is scoring goals like it is nothing. I had to ask her what her secret sauce is for balancing all this athletic success.
“It’s a huge team effort and success,” she said.
This was a perfectly expected answer, but I was hoping for something juicier. I lightly pressed for details about rituals or superstitions, and finally, I got the scoop. Turns out, Schreifels’ secret to scoring hat tricks is pre-workout. After her first hat trick of the season, it became a ritual. Now her team jokingly credits her success to that pregame caffeine boost.
Beyond rituals, Schreifels credits her support system for her success. Growing up with an older brother and a dad who was a college swim coach fueled her competitive spirit early on. She laughed as she recalled how her dad, with a bit of smugness, claimed her success this season was thanks to the drills they practiced over the summer.
Now, I do have one bit of soccer knowledge to my name: the phrase “bend it like Beckham.” When I asked Schreifels to describe her playing style, she explained that as a center forward, she often has her back to the goal, dropping deep to pass and create scoring opportunities.
“I like it when the ball comes to my feet, and I can pass it out wide or back into the midfield,” she said. “The team has kind of been built around me playing that way.”
This year’s team includes only three seniors, which Schreifels said has helped to foster tighter bonds among the players.
“It’s the closest team I’ve ever been on, which is really, really awesome,” she said.
She added that the team’s youth has made it easier to form new relationships and bonds since everyone is getting to know each other for the first time.
“When you come in and you’re young, it’s harder to kind of like, build negative relationships, it’s all kind of new, and you’re all taking it in,” said Schreifels in comparison to a majority senior team last year.
With a big game against Pacific Lutheran University, one of the top contenders in the conference, only a few hours away, Schreifels expressed confidence after the team’s strong 3-0 win against Willamette. In addition, she also spoke of the extra rest and their practices during the past week.
As her soccer career at LC winds down, Schreifels has her eyes set on making a lasting impact, both on and off the field. She has been preparing for the LSAT since June, with the exam set for Sept. 30. After graduation, Schreifels hopes to pursue a career in international law, which she sees as a natural extension of her studies.
“I’m good at being able to communicate with so many different people, and also having so many different cultures kind of come together within my identity makes me see a lot of different perspectives,” said Schreifels. “I think I could use that in the field of law.”
With just a few short months until graduation, Schreifels is determined to finish her out LC career strong in both soccer and the classroom. Watch out, Beckham benders. There is a new soccer star in town.
Leave a Reply