This past fall was nothing short of unforgettable for the Groton girls soccer team. With a strong senior core leading the way, the Red Hawks soared above the competition to win their first Section IV title since 1987. One of their key players from that championship run is getting set to enter the next chapter of an already illustrious career.
Devyn Blasz will be taking her talents to another team with a red bird as their mascot: St. John Fisher University. Blasz originally thought about venturing out of state for college, but she realized the community was too great to depart from. Her decision came down to St. John Fisher and SUNY Delhi, and while both schools had enjoyable teammates and coaches, the edge went to the Cardinals.
“When I went up to Fisher, it clicked,” Blasz said. “The campus is beautiful. I could see myself walking down these stairways for the next four years, so it really clicked there on the home part.”
Blasz will fit right into the championship culture that her new program has just established. The Cardinals also enjoyed a successful past fall, winning their first-ever Empire 8 crown and making their inaugural appearance in the NCAA tournament. Blasz is excited to help make that postseason success a regular occurrence throughout her collegiate career.
“I’m just really hoping to push them so then if I push them, they can get us far,” Blasz said. “And then when it’s my time to earn my minutes, I’ll be there and hopefully I’ll get pushed by the freshmen [that] I want to be, so I definitely just [want] to bring a faster impact on it.”
Blasz was instrumental in helping break the Red Hawks’ long sectional title drought. She pulled the strings in the midfield and played the dual role of scoring and providing, as she led the team in assists and was second in goals.
Her goal contributions arose at clutch times. In a hard-fought semifinal matchup at state-ranked Trumansburg, Blasz scored the lone goal of the contest in overtime to send the Red Hawks to the championship game against Elmira Notre Dame. It was there where she set up Jill Zigenfus for her long-range strike early in the second half, which proved to be the game-winner.
In order for Blasz to conclude her high school career with an All-State campaign, she had a switch in mindset compared to her junior season.
“My goal this year was to give the ball out as much as I could and get some goals with myself, as well,” Blasz said. “But honestly, I give my team the most credit because you don’t see a lot of teams that have good, even talent throughout the whole team. But for us, I could pass the ball to someone, and I could be comfortable with them having it and taking it and going to score on their own.”
Another part of Blasz’s mindset that has evolved throughout her time with the Red Hawks is being able to move on from any mistakes she makes during games. Blasz felt she dwelled on those errors too much during her freshman year which negatively affected her play. But that’s all changed as she heads off for college.
“When I went to Fisher and a bunch of ID camps, they were like, ‘We don’t care if you lose the ball. It’s what you do after you lose the ball that stands out,’” Blasz said. “I’ve really kept that in the back of my head, and I’m hoping to take that to Fisher, too.”
Another important aspect that she will bring to the Cardinals is leadership. As team captain her senior season alongside junior goalkeeper Stella Holl, the duo’s guidance played a significant factor in reaching the mountaintop.
“When I first started, I was definitely afraid to speak out in fear of making my peers mad or make it seem like I was trying to be the coach,” Blasz said. “But I think I’ve learned how to approach it in a way I can give constructive criticism without making it like I’m the coach. Stella has definitely helped me because she says whatever is on her mind. Sometimes it’s ‘good cop, bad cop’ between us, but we’re always working together.”
As the Red Hawks ramp up their preparation to defend their sectional title and win their second IAC title in three years, Blasz is more than ready to take on the challenge of college soccer.
“I definitely think it’s gonna be kind of a wake-up call, especially coming from a smaller town,” Blasz said. “It’s a new level of dedication because we don’t get any scholarships for playing. You’re here because you want to be here. So I anticipate it being very cutthroat. Everyone is gonna prove why they need to be here… It’s definitely gonna be nerve-wracking to go in, but it’s exciting, for sure.”
Blasz isn’t the only player from their championship team that is going to St. John Fisher. Class valedictorian Diella Niño will join their track and field team, while class salutatorian Lauren Gallinger will be majoring in nursing alongside Blasz and Niño.
