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Bockin and Senior Class Provide Strong Leadership
10/30/2018 5:34:00 PM | Soccer
Story written by Tommy Sletten
April Bockin put on a show in her final home regular-season match at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium, giving the fans and her senior class something to remember.
Bockin started off the game hot with an assist to fellow senior Molly Fiedler, giving Minnesota an early 1-0 lead over Iowa. The assist off the corner moved Bockin up to fifth all-time in assists for the Gophers, solidifying herself in the record books. Bockin is tied with two other players with 25 assists in her career, while playing five and 10 games less than the other two, respectively.
"It's a huge honor," Bockin said of her milestone. "I've been blessed with great teammates around me who can put the ball in the back of the net, so making the assist is easy. It's always cool to put your name in the record books, especially at a program that has had so much success."
Bockin wasn't done against the Hawkeyes either. She extended the lead with a goal in the 23rd minute, beating a Hawkeye defender before finding the back of the net.
After Iowa cut the score to 2-1, Bockin again called her own number, blasting a shot into the upper half of the goal to give Minnesota the penultimate 3-1 lead. The 63rd minute goal iced the match for Minnesota, while displaying Bockin's dominant skill.
"I knew I was one on one with the defender, and I had been taking her endline a couple of times and she had been doing a good job of defending it," Bockin said of her goal. "So, I decided to take it inside. I was on the left side, so I knew I could cut in with my right foot. Once it left my foot, I knew it was going in. I could see the trajectory and it felt right. It was a great way to end my regular season at ELR."
Bockin's display of pure class gave herself her tenth goal of the season, which made her the Big Ten regular season leader for goals, tied with Rutger's Amirah Ali. It ultimately lead to her being named Big Ten Forward of the Year
The senior class of Bockin, Fiedler, Emily Peterson, Emily Heslin and Maddie Castro have grown as a unit in their four years representing Minnesota, providing much needed leadership and quality on the field. Both Bockin and Fiedler are included as all-time Gopher assist leaders.
"It was surreal playing our last regular season game at ELR," Bockin said. "As a class, we've grown so much since we've been here.The class as a whole has been huge this year with building the team that we have not only on the field but also off the field. It's been cool to see everyone grow personally and as a player."
With a mix of the five seniors and underclassmen contributors on the pitch, the older players don't think the season is done yet. With the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and a match up with Nebraksa looming, the future still shines bright for the seniors.
"I think the big games we've had this year shows the potential we have, I don't even think we've reached our full potential yet," Peterson said. "We've shown we can come into big games and pull out big wins, which I think is really cool going into the postseason."
The five seniors are all Minnesota natives, and have been playing together since high school, which has given them an added edge to their game. As well as the added edge, they have grown close with each other, evident in their game.
When asked about the closeness of the class, both Castro and Peterson laughed and smiled at each other in response.
"We're extremely close, and that's why I laugh. I don't think there's ever been a class like us," Peterson said. "We all get along really well, and because we've been playing together for so long. We have really good chemistry, which you can definitely tell when we play together on the field. It's great to come together and finish it off together at ELR."
While the five seniors may have played their final game at the Robbie, the memories and chemistry doesn't end after the final whistle. The relationships they've built will last a lifetime.
"They're my best friends, and they will always be my best friends," Bockin said. "I think we've gone through a lot together, and this year we've really grown as a class. We've taken this team on our back a little bit. Knowing this is our last season we've been giving it everything we have. It's been really fun to grow with them and learn a lot with them, and I can't wait to continue our relationship in the future."
April Bockin put on a show in her final home regular-season match at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium, giving the fans and her senior class something to remember.
Bockin started off the game hot with an assist to fellow senior Molly Fiedler, giving Minnesota an early 1-0 lead over Iowa. The assist off the corner moved Bockin up to fifth all-time in assists for the Gophers, solidifying herself in the record books. Bockin is tied with two other players with 25 assists in her career, while playing five and 10 games less than the other two, respectively.
"It's a huge honor," Bockin said of her milestone. "I've been blessed with great teammates around me who can put the ball in the back of the net, so making the assist is easy. It's always cool to put your name in the record books, especially at a program that has had so much success."
Bockin wasn't done against the Hawkeyes either. She extended the lead with a goal in the 23rd minute, beating a Hawkeye defender before finding the back of the net.
After Iowa cut the score to 2-1, Bockin again called her own number, blasting a shot into the upper half of the goal to give Minnesota the penultimate 3-1 lead. The 63rd minute goal iced the match for Minnesota, while displaying Bockin's dominant skill.
"I knew I was one on one with the defender, and I had been taking her endline a couple of times and she had been doing a good job of defending it," Bockin said of her goal. "So, I decided to take it inside. I was on the left side, so I knew I could cut in with my right foot. Once it left my foot, I knew it was going in. I could see the trajectory and it felt right. It was a great way to end my regular season at ELR."
Bockin's display of pure class gave herself her tenth goal of the season, which made her the Big Ten regular season leader for goals, tied with Rutger's Amirah Ali. It ultimately lead to her being named Big Ten Forward of the Year
The senior class of Bockin, Fiedler, Emily Peterson, Emily Heslin and Maddie Castro have grown as a unit in their four years representing Minnesota, providing much needed leadership and quality on the field. Both Bockin and Fiedler are included as all-time Gopher assist leaders.
"It was surreal playing our last regular season game at ELR," Bockin said. "As a class, we've grown so much since we've been here.The class as a whole has been huge this year with building the team that we have not only on the field but also off the field. It's been cool to see everyone grow personally and as a player."
With a mix of the five seniors and underclassmen contributors on the pitch, the older players don't think the season is done yet. With the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and a match up with Nebraksa looming, the future still shines bright for the seniors.
"I think the big games we've had this year shows the potential we have, I don't even think we've reached our full potential yet," Peterson said. "We've shown we can come into big games and pull out big wins, which I think is really cool going into the postseason."
The five seniors are all Minnesota natives, and have been playing together since high school, which has given them an added edge to their game. As well as the added edge, they have grown close with each other, evident in their game.
When asked about the closeness of the class, both Castro and Peterson laughed and smiled at each other in response.
"We're extremely close, and that's why I laugh. I don't think there's ever been a class like us," Peterson said. "We all get along really well, and because we've been playing together for so long. We have really good chemistry, which you can definitely tell when we play together on the field. It's great to come together and finish it off together at ELR."
While the five seniors may have played their final game at the Robbie, the memories and chemistry doesn't end after the final whistle. The relationships they've built will last a lifetime.
"They're my best friends, and they will always be my best friends," Bockin said. "I think we've gone through a lot together, and this year we've really grown as a class. We've taken this team on our back a little bit. Knowing this is our last season we've been giving it everything we have. It's been really fun to grow with them and learn a lot with them, and I can't wait to continue our relationship in the future."
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