At the Library
November 11, 2014
My chance to humble brag
November 11, 2014
The University of Louisiana-Lafayette football team has been inundated with Terrebonne Parish flare in the past few years, as Houma native Elijah McGuire has taken the school by storm with his ability to break tackles and score touchdowns with relative ease.
But the Houma takeover out in Lafayette isn’t exclusive to just the football gridiron. Most don’t realize that it’s happening on the soccer pitch, as well.
Houma native and Vandebilt Catholic graduate Kimberly Grasso has just completed her sophomore season with the Ragin Cajuns, helping steer ULL to a 9-8-2 record in the 2014 season. The nine wins marked the second-most the team has ever accumulated in a single season – a historic feat for the rebuilding program. Grasso was a key cog in that success, earning Second-Team All-Sun Belt honors – one of two ULL players to be named to the All-Sun Belt team.
“This season compared to last, I am a lot more comfortable playing,” Grasso said this week. “I think having had so much experience playing my freshman year helped with that a lot. Also, playing with the girls a whole year, you start to know how they play, and it makes things a lot easier.”
For Grasso, the path to Lafayette was paved after a dominant and decorated high school career.
At Vandebilt, Grasso was a force – easily one of the top goal scorers in the state of Louisiana throughout her career. Paired with teammates Makelle Pena and Meghan Philp (both who also signed collegiate soccer scholarships), Grasso and the Lady Terriers’ offense overwhelmed opponents with its ability to score in several directions.
Grasso was a First-Team All-State selection for three-straight seasons to close her career. She was one of the driving forces behind the Lady Terriers’ push to four-straight State Runner-Up finishes in Division II.
Grasso said the Cajuns started recruiting her midway through her prep career, scouting her talents in club play. While competing for the New Orleans-based Chicago Fire Juniors, she met ULL coach Scot Wieland for the first time.
From there, Grasso said she pulled the trigger and made the decision to call Lafayette home.
“We had gone to Regionals in South Carolina, and the head coach had watched one of our games there,” Grasso said looking back. “That was the first time I met him. After that, I visited the school and also attended the soccer camp my junior year in high school.
“Then after that, I verbally committed and officially became a Ragin’ Cajun.”
For most players, the transition from high school to college is cushioned by a steep learning curve. But Grasso didn’t enjoy that same luxury – she was thrown right into the fire from Day 1 on campus.
The former Lady Terrier started 16 of the Cajuns’ 17 matches as a true freshman, logging 1,371 total minutes on the field. She took 29 shots (10 on target) in that first season and was a crucial factor in the Cajuns’ midfield, helping push the team to an 8-7-3 record and a 5-2-1 mark in Sun Belt play.
“It was an awesome experience starting my freshman year,” Grasso said. “I came in not knowing what to expect. After knowing I was going to start, I knew I had a big role to fill and I had to step up my game.”
“The girls here are definitely a lot bigger and faster than at Vandebilt,” Grasso added. “Every girl on the field is just as good as the next one.”
In such a competitive, up-tempo environment, Grasso learned from her true freshman season and thrived in her sophomore season.
Grasso logged time in all 18 of ULL’s matches in 2014, recording 12 starts and 1,039 total minutes. While on the field, Grasso proved to be an impact player, logging five goals and 10 points on the season – enough to rank third and fourth on the team, respectively, in those categories.
As a midfielder, Grasso’s aggressiveness was a big sparkplug for a Ragin’ Cajuns’ offense that was among the best in the entire NCAA. The Cajuns scored 47 total goals in the regular season, which ranked the team No. 14 in America in scoring offense.
When learning that Grasso was named an All-Sun Belt performer, Wieland said she was a worthwhile recipient.
“Kim has been amazing this year,” Wieland said. “She has really played at a high level. She is an incredibly humble young lady, and I couldn’t be more proud of her.”
That humble demeanor is already on display for Grasso who is already eyeing the future.
She said that she has big plans to have a productive offseason so that she can return to the team next fall a more equipped player.
“I want to improve on my speed and also staying in shape,” Grasso said. “I also need to improve on my attacking ability and my shooting, as well.”
She’ll also likely spend some of her downtime in the offseason and during the holidays in Houma – a place that she said will always have her heart.
Grasso said she loves being a Ragin’ Cajun, touting that she’s making friendships that will last the rest of her life. But she added that her days at Vandebilt are some of the best times she’s ever had on the soccer pitch.
“I miss playing for Vandebilt – definitely,” she said. “I miss playing with all my high school friends and all of the fun practices we had.”
Houma native and Vandebilt Catholic graduate Kimberly Grasso pushes the ball up the field during a match this season. The local standout was among the Ragin Cajuns’ leading players this season – her second with the program. For her efforts, she earned Second-Team All-Sun Belt honors. Grasso said she hopes to get better in the offseason so that her junior season can be the best one yet.
