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Heslin Playing out Pro Dream in Serbian SuperLiga
10/7/2020 9:31:00 AM | Soccer
Growing up, Gopher alumna Emily Heslin dreamed of playing professional soccer – as many youth athletes do in their respective athletic endeavors. When she arrived at the University of Minnesota to compete for the Gophers in the fall of 2015, she knew that making it to the next level was going to be incredibly difficult. Still, the odds did not discourage the former Minnesota midfielder – who totaled 87 games played and 66 starts over the course of her career in Maroon & Gold.
In September of 2019, just four months after her graduation from the U of M, Heslin signed her first-ever pro contract with Maccabi Kishronot Hadea Football Club of the Israeli First Division. Then, on Feb. 20, 2020, Heslin's childhood dream reached its pinnacle, as she scored the opening goal of Maccabi Kishronot Hadera's 3-2 upset victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv.
"Playing professional soccer was something I had always dreamed about growing up – I genuinely couldn't imagine my life without soccer in it," said Heslin. "I was very fortunate at Minnesota that I had a solid career there that set me up for success post-graduation, but also had an experience that allowed me to continue to fall in love with the game, making the decision to continue this lifestyle an easy one."
Although Heslin wrapped up her stint in the Israeli First Division earlier this year, she signed a new contract with ZFK Spartak Subotica of the Serbian SuperLiga on July 5. By July 15, Heslin was in Serbia, surrounded by new teammates and a new professional experience altogether.
Considered one of the premier soccer clubs in Serbia, ZFK Spartak won nine consecutive national championships from 2011-19. That history of success is one of many reasons why ZFK Spartak is considered by many to be one of the very best women's clubs in the country.
"I think this long-standing history of having the best Serbian players and with the addition of some strong foreign players, really helps to put the best 11 people on the field in any given match," said Heslin. "The trainings are also very focused, intentional, intense and help set us up for each and every match."
Already in 2020, ZFK Spartak is off to an incredible 8-0 start in the Serbian SuperLiga, holding three more victories than the next closest team in the standings.
"Playing in Serbia has been a great experience thus far," said Heslin. "The style of play is definitely different than what I have been used to, playing in the U.S. or even in Israel, but the tactics side of the game has always been something I've been passionate about and have been able to pick up on."
Luckily, thanks to her experience playing under head coach Stefanie Golan throughout her Gopher tenure, Heslin was prepared to take on the demands of professional training and competition. Speaking to her early success as a professional, Heslin lauded Golan and the entire Minnesota coaching staff for helping her grow both as a player and as a person throughout her time in the Twin Cities.
"Gopher Soccer taught me how to be prepared for anything that is thrown your way, to be accountable for your actions, to ask for help when you need it and more than anything – Gopher Soccer taught me to always play for something bigger than yourself," said Heslin. "When you come into these clubs, a lot of these girls have been on the team for 5-10 years. You have to realize they are invested in their club like I was invested in Minnesota while I was there. My sole focus is to help this team be successful in any way I can."
As a Gopher, helping the team by any means possible was Heslin's well-known mission-operative. Typically a "behind the scenes" player that did a fair amount of grunt work to help Minnesota succeed, Heslin was an irreplaceable component in two Big Ten Tournament titles (2016, 2018) and one Regular Season Big Ten Championship (2016).
In both 2016 and 2018, Heslin started all 23 games for the Maroon & Gold, even grabbing hold of the spotlight in the first of the two aforementioned Big Ten Championships.
"The summer before that [2016] season, I worked hard and tried to put myself in the best possible position to help set the team up for success," said Heslin.
Heslin's off-season work was evident throughout the duration of the ensuing season, culminating on Nov. 6, 2016. On that day, Heslin scored the game-winning goal against Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament Championship. Overall, her play earned her recognition on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team, an honor she would later claim yet again in 2018.
"I think that's why my teammates and coaches were happier for me than I was that I got to score the game-winning goal of the tournament – it was some recognition for the hard work that I was always willing to do to help the team," said Heslin.
Overall, Heslin looks back on her time with the Gophers fondly. Over the course of her four-year career, she tallied six goals, five assists and 17 points. Heslin played 6,371 minutes for Minnesota from 2015-18, accruing over 1,500 minutes in each of her final three seasons.
"I am very blessed to say that I had an absolutely incredible experience playing at the U," said Heslin. "The memories I created with some true life-long best friends, the lessons I learned along the way, being able to compete at the highest level against some of the best players in the nation – truly is something I'll never be able to recreate in my life."
Despite being less than two years removed from her Minnesota career, Heslin has now proved herself capable of coming through in crucial situations not only in the college game, but in the professional realm as well. As she looks ahead to ZFK Spartak's upcoming Champions League tournament in November, there will be even more opportunities for the former Gopher star to add more layers of success to that once-childhood dream – one that has since turned into reality.
Leading up to that much-anticipated November tournament, Heslin is focusing on continuing to gain connections on the field with her new teammates. In addition to that, the Woodbury, Minn. native is constantly working on improving her left foot so she can more accurately distribute the ball to her teammates in various game situations.
"As a player moving forward, I think I just really want to finish out this season strong and have a good showing in Champions League this year," said Heslin. "I'm not sure what my soccer future looks like, but I want to continue to grow as a player, so if new opportunities arise, I'm ready."
ZFK Spartak kicks off play in the 2020 Champions League on either Nov. 4 or 5, when the first round is scheduled to begin. The draw for the tournament will take place on Oct. 22, which will officially reveal undefeated-ZFK Spartak's opening opponent.
In September of 2019, just four months after her graduation from the U of M, Heslin signed her first-ever pro contract with Maccabi Kishronot Hadea Football Club of the Israeli First Division. Then, on Feb. 20, 2020, Heslin's childhood dream reached its pinnacle, as she scored the opening goal of Maccabi Kishronot Hadera's 3-2 upset victory over Maccabi Tel Aviv.
"Playing professional soccer was something I had always dreamed about growing up – I genuinely couldn't imagine my life without soccer in it," said Heslin. "I was very fortunate at Minnesota that I had a solid career there that set me up for success post-graduation, but also had an experience that allowed me to continue to fall in love with the game, making the decision to continue this lifestyle an easy one."
Although Heslin wrapped up her stint in the Israeli First Division earlier this year, she signed a new contract with ZFK Spartak Subotica of the Serbian SuperLiga on July 5. By July 15, Heslin was in Serbia, surrounded by new teammates and a new professional experience altogether.
Considered one of the premier soccer clubs in Serbia, ZFK Spartak won nine consecutive national championships from 2011-19. That history of success is one of many reasons why ZFK Spartak is considered by many to be one of the very best women's clubs in the country.
"I think this long-standing history of having the best Serbian players and with the addition of some strong foreign players, really helps to put the best 11 people on the field in any given match," said Heslin. "The trainings are also very focused, intentional, intense and help set us up for each and every match."
Already in 2020, ZFK Spartak is off to an incredible 8-0 start in the Serbian SuperLiga, holding three more victories than the next closest team in the standings.
"Playing in Serbia has been a great experience thus far," said Heslin. "The style of play is definitely different than what I have been used to, playing in the U.S. or even in Israel, but the tactics side of the game has always been something I've been passionate about and have been able to pick up on."
Luckily, thanks to her experience playing under head coach Stefanie Golan throughout her Gopher tenure, Heslin was prepared to take on the demands of professional training and competition. Speaking to her early success as a professional, Heslin lauded Golan and the entire Minnesota coaching staff for helping her grow both as a player and as a person throughout her time in the Twin Cities.
"Gopher Soccer taught me how to be prepared for anything that is thrown your way, to be accountable for your actions, to ask for help when you need it and more than anything – Gopher Soccer taught me to always play for something bigger than yourself," said Heslin. "When you come into these clubs, a lot of these girls have been on the team for 5-10 years. You have to realize they are invested in their club like I was invested in Minnesota while I was there. My sole focus is to help this team be successful in any way I can."
As a Gopher, helping the team by any means possible was Heslin's well-known mission-operative. Typically a "behind the scenes" player that did a fair amount of grunt work to help Minnesota succeed, Heslin was an irreplaceable component in two Big Ten Tournament titles (2016, 2018) and one Regular Season Big Ten Championship (2016).
In both 2016 and 2018, Heslin started all 23 games for the Maroon & Gold, even grabbing hold of the spotlight in the first of the two aforementioned Big Ten Championships.
"The summer before that [2016] season, I worked hard and tried to put myself in the best possible position to help set the team up for success," said Heslin.
Heslin's off-season work was evident throughout the duration of the ensuing season, culminating on Nov. 6, 2016. On that day, Heslin scored the game-winning goal against Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament Championship. Overall, her play earned her recognition on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team, an honor she would later claim yet again in 2018.
"I think that's why my teammates and coaches were happier for me than I was that I got to score the game-winning goal of the tournament – it was some recognition for the hard work that I was always willing to do to help the team," said Heslin.
Overall, Heslin looks back on her time with the Gophers fondly. Over the course of her four-year career, she tallied six goals, five assists and 17 points. Heslin played 6,371 minutes for Minnesota from 2015-18, accruing over 1,500 minutes in each of her final three seasons.
"I am very blessed to say that I had an absolutely incredible experience playing at the U," said Heslin. "The memories I created with some true life-long best friends, the lessons I learned along the way, being able to compete at the highest level against some of the best players in the nation – truly is something I'll never be able to recreate in my life."
Despite being less than two years removed from her Minnesota career, Heslin has now proved herself capable of coming through in crucial situations not only in the college game, but in the professional realm as well. As she looks ahead to ZFK Spartak's upcoming Champions League tournament in November, there will be even more opportunities for the former Gopher star to add more layers of success to that once-childhood dream – one that has since turned into reality.
Leading up to that much-anticipated November tournament, Heslin is focusing on continuing to gain connections on the field with her new teammates. In addition to that, the Woodbury, Minn. native is constantly working on improving her left foot so she can more accurately distribute the ball to her teammates in various game situations.
"As a player moving forward, I think I just really want to finish out this season strong and have a good showing in Champions League this year," said Heslin. "I'm not sure what my soccer future looks like, but I want to continue to grow as a player, so if new opportunities arise, I'm ready."
ZFK Spartak kicks off play in the 2020 Champions League on either Nov. 4 or 5, when the first round is scheduled to begin. The draw for the tournament will take place on Oct. 22, which will officially reveal undefeated-ZFK Spartak's opening opponent.
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