Before junior goalkeeper Sydney Wootten came to NC State to play soccer, head coach Tim Santoro went to watch her practice with her club team in California.
But Wootten had no idea Santoro was coming.
“I planned to pop in at one of her practices, which would have been an easy time, midweek, not knowing anyone’s there to just goof around,” Santoro said. “It doesn’t matter, does it?”
To Wootten, it did matter, like every other day.
“She was training like it was the World Cup final,” Santoro said. “She could have just taken a day off, but she doesn’t.”
Wootten’s hard work and dedication on a daily basis helped the Pack to an incredible turnaround last season that has continued into the new year.
“It’s been an amazing run,” Wootten said. “I honestly didn’t think we’d do as well as we did.”
After starting 14 games in her freshman season as NC State struggled to a 0-10 ACC record and 4-15 record overall, Wootten started all 22 games in goal as the Pack improved its record to 11-9-2 and 4-5-1 in conference, qualifying for its first ACC Tournament since 2006 and first NCAA Tournament since 1996.
Wootten recorded the ninth-best goals against average in school history over the course of a season, averaging just 1.08 goals against per game. The San Diego native also made 75 saves in 2017, good for fifth-best in the ACC and recorded seven shutouts, including one at UNC-Chapel Hill’s Fetzer Field as the team recorded its second win over the Tar Heels in program history.
This season, the Pack is off to a 6-1-0 start, thanks in part to Wootten’s play. Her style of play stands out from other goalkeepers, even among the talented group of ACC goalies. Her quickness, strength and footwork stand out to Santoro.
“I thought she was one of the best goalkeepers in the conference,” Santoro said. “I thought she should have gotten some postseason accolades and she didn’t just because of who we are.”
Beyond the stats, however, it’s Wootten’s work ethic that impresses Santoro.
“Every day in practice, every rep in practice is just as important as a rep she gets in a game,” Santoro said. “That’s a hard quality to find and I think the team feeds off that and they recognize it.”
When Wootten committed to NC State, the program was going through significant changes from a personnel and player standpoint. When Santoro was hired prior to the 2013 season, he knew a rebuild was in order, a process which Wootten has been a key part of. From 2013 to 2015, NC State recorded just two conference wins and 13 victories overall.
“From my freshman year to my sophomore year,” Wootten said. “[Santoro] wiped out the old class and brought in all these new, young players and changed the playing style, changed everything, and that’s what I really liked about the program. He stuck with his style of play and believed in us.”
Along with Wootten, the rest of the junior class has been crucial to the Wolfpack’s change of fortune. Juniors Hannah Keogh, Taylor Porter, Ella Bonner and Maxine Blackwood have also all been critical members of the rebuilt team.
“That junior class, they made the commitment when it wasn’t really cool to do that,” Santoro said. “It wasn’t really cool to come to NC State two and a half years ago.”
Santoro also brought in an incredibly talented class of freshmen for the 2016 season, including Tziarra King, Ricci Walking, Krissi Schuster and Paige Griffiths, all of whom saw regular action in the starting lineup last season.
“Bringing in all those great freshmen, it’s kind of proved that State wasn’t just meant to be unsuccessful this whole time.” Wootten said.
Building in the success from last year and early on this year, Wootten has high expectations for the team this season. She has recorded two shutouts in 2017 to go along with four saves and a 0.83 GAA.
“I want to make it to the NCAA Tournament and go really far with it,” Wooten said. I want to make it to the ACC Tournament, and I definitely believe we have the potential to do so.”
While Wootten excels on the field, her character is something to be praised as well, according to Santoro.
“When we were rebuilding this program, I looked at the people as much as the players,” Santoro said. “She’s a really good kid, a really good student, someone I won’t have to worry about off the field in four years.”
Beyond soccer, Wootten plans on going to physical therapy school in San Antonio, Texas and wants to become a physical therapy specialist for veterans.
With a year of success under the program’s belt, this year’s team and Wootten are certainly capable of accomplishing even more this season.
“More people should come to our games,” Wootten said. “We’re good, and ready to perform for you.”
