027: Rylee Foster of the West Virginia Mountaineers

As an 18-year-old Freshman in 2016, Rylee Foster found herself in both a U20 World Cup and a College Cup final. She led Canada to impressive victories in the U17 and U20 CONCACAF championships before helping her West Virginia Mountaineers reach unprecedented heights.

In today’s episode, Rylee talks about her experiences at both the college and international levels, beginning with the pressure-cooker 2016 campaign. She explains the role that Kadeisha Buchanan and other senior leaders on that ’16 team played, both in holding her to a high standard and making her an important part of the program. She also discusses the outlook for WVU soccer in 2018.

During her career, Rylee has also experienced more than her fair share of penalty shootouts, including a trio against rival Mexico in do-or-die international competitions and another in last year’s NCAA tournament. She talks about her approach to shootouts – and penalties in general – as well as the emphasis that her coaches have placed on this critical part of tournament games.

Along the way, we also look at her path from youth soccer in Ontario to Morgantown, West Virginia, and the role that a number of coaches and mentors have played in getting her there. I hope you enjoy the show!

Special thanks to Rylee Foster for joining me!