Junior forward Ciara DiMauro is having one of the best seasons in the 24 years of Golden Eagle soccer – setting records for most goals (8), points in a game (5), total points (20), and shots on goal (29).

Despite the individual nature of her achievements, DiMauro gives much of the credit to the players around her and coach Jason Edwards.

"My team was really, really behind me the entire time," said DiMauro. "I mean, I couldn't have done it without them. They're the sole reason for everything that I do."

"My coach has played a huge factor. He's kind of pushed me in a very positive direction. I'm able to come into a game more confident than I have before. It's really helpful."

DiMauro's productivity eclipses anything she had done on the pitch in the two seasons prior. Up until this campaign, the most goals she scored in a season was four, that coming as a freshman. She only hit the back of the net twice a year ago.

"Her athleticism was phenomenal, [but] I think what was lacking was her ability to process what was happening in the game," remarked Edwards on DiMauro's offensive outburst. "Talking through that has given her faith in what she is seeing and doing. There's been a growth in terms of understanding how to maximize her athleticism, having her brain catch up with her feet.

"She is seeing the game differently, processing what she is seeing and making decisions, solving the situations she puts herself in. She's reading the script pretty well."

What makes DiMauro's accomplishments all the more noteworthy is they have come while nursing an ankle contusion – the injury keeping her in an orthopedic boot and on crutches between games to minimize swelling through the tail end of the season.

"Larissa [Roberts, the athletic trainer for soccer] is really working hard to keep all of us right, especially myself," noted DiMauro. "She does so much for us and keeps me ready to go at all times."

"She is one of our biggest supporters and goes above and beyond for our team."

The success of this year's squad, which clinched a berth in the PSAC playoffs for the first time in program history, is just as, if not more, important than individual accomplishments to DiMauro.

Said DiMauro, "Ever since I entered the program, I knew I wanted to be a part of something that I could make my mark on. To finally have this opportunity is so thrilling.

"I'm so very proud of this team and this year will always be one to remember."  

She attributed the squad's performance to its cohesiveness.

"This year just kind of felt different, a different vibe." DiMauro observed. "We wanted it so badly, put in the work over the summer and got what we wanted out of it."

"We have great chemistry this year, we really came together. No matter if someone makes a bad pass or a bad shot, we always keep our head up, keep pushing, keep doing what you have to do."

That team connectivity is what drew the Exercise Science/Athletic Training major to western Pennsylvania from southern New Jersey (Rio Grande).

"I toured a few schools before and none of them really felt like home to me. As soon as I stepped on campus here I really had a connection with all the girls," she commented. "The program and how they were developing really spoke to me and I wanted to be part of that."

"We have a family here. That's really a key aspect. We don't want anyone to feel like they don't belong here, because everyone deserves to be here if you make it this far."

 As to the future and what she and the team might yet achieve the rest of this season and in those ahead, DiMauro said, "I just keep my head on straight coming into a game. I focus on what's in front of me, not what could come of it. I just take every step forward and make the best of it."

"I cannot wait to see what we do and what's to come for us all."