The Taylor women’s soccer season has come to an end following a loss in the Crossroads League Tournament to #RV Grace 2-1.
This loss marked the final game for the senior class, highlighted by forward Audrey Grimm. Grimm is described by teammates as a hard worker, a leader, and a friend who will be truly missed by the program.
In her time sporting the purple and gray, Grimm appeared in 70 total games, starting in 55 of them. One of her impressive feats was cracking the starting lineup during her freshman season, starting eight of the seventeen games she appeared in that season, scoring four goals to go along with two assists.
In her sophomore season, she started 15 of 20 games, marking the final time she would not start a game for the Trojans. Grimm outdid herself in her sophomore season with six goals and one assist. Her domination on the pitch picked up in her junior season where she netted nine goals with three assists in her 17 games played. The overall highlight from her second year was the team’s trip to the NAIA National Tournament in Mississippi, which resulted in a 2-1 loss to Columbia (MO).
Perhaps her best season was her senior year. Grimm will leave the Taylor soccer program with a huge hole to fill offensively after she added eight goals this season with four more assists, totaling 27 goals and 10 assists across her illustrious career.
It is no secret that Grimm was a force to be reckoned with on the pitch. But on top of her on-field success, she was also a great teammate and locker-room presence, something that is rarely noticed.
“She (Audrey) is overall super competitive, super athletic, but also super caring and super loving. A great overall leader on the team,” said fellow senior and forward Sydney Thompson, .
Grimm was selected as a captain this year because of the leadership that she showed off the field. She made an effort to be a vocal leader and pour into the underclassmen on the team, pushing them in not only aspects of soccer but also in their faith. She was a great encourager in the locker room, something Thompson also mentioned, and made an effort to notice players on the team who weren’t always seen or heard from.
When reflecting back on her collegiate career, Grimm’s most fond memories came from the team’s trips to Oregon, Mexico, and Mississippi for Nationals. She said that traveling together as a team was an effective way to bond the team with one another and created so many great memories.
“We made tons of fun memories on the bus to and in Mississippi, and then last year, junior year, we went to Oregon and had games out there which was really fun. We went on hikes and went to the ocean, it was all really fun,” Grimm said.
Grimm’s presence will be missed next season by the Trojans on and off the field. She was an effective goal scorer all four of her years playing and was the anchor to the team’s locker room. She’ll leave a lasting impact on the soccer program that can not be easily filled.
