Mia Amen. Photo via wcupagoldenrams.com
The NCAA DII 2022 Championship runner-ups and defending Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East champions, the West Chester Golden Rams women’s soccer team, came into this season with high expectations.
They were the favorites in the preseason coaches’ poll to repeat as conference champion and were also ranked second in the entire Division II in the United Soccer Preseason Poll.
So far in their new campaign, they have more than justified those lofty rankings as they are currently 6–2–1 with a 5–2 record in conference play.
I had the opportunity to discuss what all of this success over the past two years and the journey along the way has been like with sophomore forward, Mia Amen.
Being a part of a collegiate sport, let alone one with a successful program like that of West Chester, requires hard work and dedication, but Mia had no doubt that this is where she wanted to be.
“Both of my parents attended West Chester and after graduating they decided to stay here and create a life for themselves,” Mia tells me. “I have always lived here, and West Chester is extremely special to me.”
This made the decision to follow in her parent’s footsteps and attend the university here a no brainer.
The fact that the soccer program had a track record of excellence didn’t hurt matters either.
The Golden Rams have won the Atlantic Region title six times and have played for the region championship ten times. On top of this, they also have four Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference titles.
The highlight of these accomplishments was their historic run last year when they steamrolled the competition to the tune of a 23–1–1 record with an undefeated 15–0–1 record in conference play. Those 23 wins culminated in a tied school record and a spot in the NCAA Division II championship game held in Seattle, Washington where they unfortunately lost 2–1 to Western Washington.
“I have never played in such a competitive environment with such good people,” Mia explains when asked about this prior success. “You have to be extremely passionate about the sport.”
This run of success and competitive culture has been instilled thanks to head coach, Betty Ann Kempf Townsley, who has now been at West Chester for 17 years. Coming into her 17th season, she has compiled an unbelievable 238–53–34 record at the helm for the Golden Rams, making her the school’s all-time women’s soccer head coach wins leader.
The only thing rivaled by her success is the impact that she has made on her players.
“Coach Betty Ann has taught me that college soccer is a journey. It’s not just about soccer, it’s about growing as a person and helping others grow as well,” Mia tells me when asked about the impact that Coach Betty Ann has had on her.
While the Golden Rams look poised to make it back to the championship game, this isn’t at the top of their minds.
“One thing this program stresses is to take things one day at a time. What we are going to do this season is give our best every day, stay in the present and stay ready.”
Amen and the women’s soccer team faced East Stroudsburg on Oct. 7 in a 3–0 loss. Their current record is 6–2–1.
The Golden Rams next matchup takes place Wednesday, Oct. 11 against Shippensburg University as they look to improve to 7–3–1 on the season.
Colin Bradley is a fourth-year English major with a minor in Journalism. CB953277@wcupa.edu