Some high school athletes only compete in one or two sports each year, but then there are those, like Cathy Eliasson, who are active during the fall, winter, and spring. Earlier this year, Eliasson played soccer. She just completed her final basketball season and is now preparing for softball. The Cornwall senior has been competing in each of these sports since she was about six-years-old and never seems to tire.
“I feel like it’s a good division of time. For soccer it’s about three months. You play it for so long that sometimes you’re ready to start something new. Then it’s basketball. Basketball is always so much fun. That’s about four months. I never really want basketball to end. And then from basketball it goes into softball so it’s definitely a good division of sports. You get a taste of everything.”
If the snow ever melts from the diamond, Eliasson has high hopes for the season. She’d like to win sections, after falling short last year.
“One of our players hit a really long shot into the outfield and we got a run in to tie the game, but we were too focused on who scored at home rather than if the person who hit the ball was safe on base. She got out when our run scored.”
Throughout her career, which includes Little League and playing two years each in modified, JV, and varsity, Eliasson has been a catcher and first baseman. This year she expects to be playing a majority of the season at first base.
Last week, Eliasson witnessed her basketball team fall short, against Wallkill, in the section finals. There was some hope for redemption following a close match in the championship round against Wallkill last year. Eliasson had hoped the seniors, girls she’s played with since she first picked up a basketball, could win a championship in their final year.
As much as Eliasson enjoys playing basketball, she loves to play soccer even more. So much so she agreed to play goalie for SUNY Brockport in the fall.
“I just love goalkeeping. I’ve always been pretty good at it. It’s fun being in the net. I feel like that’s my best place to be.”
Eliasson began playing soccer for Cornwall United, working her way through modified in seventh grade, and JV in eighth and ninth, before permanently making varsity the last three years. The goalie had a taste of the varsity level while playing JV – she was called up both years for the section playoffs. She got into a couple of games, but the experience gave her a chance to see what it would be like at the next level.
“It was such a cool experience. Everyone was so much older than I was. But I learned to see how they played in the hope I could be that great one day. I just kept working hard. It got me to where I am now.”
Eliasson has been a goalie for most of her career, but it took playing in the field to realize her strength.
“I wasn’t so great in the field and I wasn’t the quickest, but I was the quickest diving from side to side. When the ball came to me, I would always just jump on the ground and grab it or take it away. I was always a strong player in that manner. I like diving all over the place. It’s always fun.”
Last year, Eliasson missed 12 games after breaking her wrist in practice.
“We were doing arc shooting drills and the girls were shooting one after the other. I was getting ready for the next shot. I was just getting the shot out of the way and I was going to prepare for the next shot. I was saving the ball, the ball hit my wrist and bent it all the way back. It got fractured and I was out almost the whole season.”
Eliasson remained positive, even though it took time for the wrist to heal. In the meantime she continued to train with the team, running as much as she could. She helped the other goaltenders and practiced her footwork.
“I just kept working my hardest. I knew I had to do something because I was going to be back and I had to be ready to go.”
During her sophomore and junior years, Eliasson was part of an unusual coaching decision. She split time with fellow goaltender Laurel Schuster, but it wasn’t the split one might think. Rather than playing one game and taking the next off, the tandem would split halves of each game. One game Eliasson would start, the next game she would enter the game in the second half.
“We both had our own strengths and weaknesses and I think it was a great decision by coach [Rick] Miller because you never knew how the game was going to go that day or how Laurel and I were going to perform that day. We went to the final four, so it definitely worked out for the best.”
Despite losing in the state semi-finals, Eliasson was happy just to make it that far.
“South Side was great competition. Before we played them they had won the last eight state finals. They were number one, so we knew to go into it we were playing a hard team. We really gave it our all, so I don’t think there was anything more we could do.”
Starting next year, Eliasson will play a new role as back-up goaltender. She’s prepared to accept her role on the team.
“I’m fine with just training and getting ready for when it’s my time to shine. It will be fun just being on a team. Having the opportunity to play at a college I love just means a lot because I love the sport. It’s always been fun for me and a good part of my life.
