The Fitchburg State Women’s Soccer team is in a year of influx, post pandemic. The team has added many young and talented players, looking to retool the squad for success. On teams such as this, the players who have been around and experienced college soccer are extremely important. The quality of experience and leadership can make or break the success of the team. Junior Sydney Mouton has taken on the challenge of leading this year’s Fitchburg State team, being named one of the team’s three captains. When asked about her contributions as a captain, Moulton said, “I bring a positive light to the team, and I am very good at communicating things from the coaches to the players. I’m a great middleman”. Moulton looks to be a bridge between coaches and players, an all important role on a youthful team such as this one.  

Moulton is from Baldwinville Massachusetts, and is majoring in Communication Media at Fitchburg State University. Moulton began playing soccer at the age of six, falling in love with the sport after seeing people playing it behind the benches of her sister’s field hockey games. Soccer was not her only passion however, as she excelled at basketball and track through her high school years. When remembering her high school soccer career, one moment stood out from the rest. Moulton recalled, “My Junior year of high school I got back from a concussion, to play against a team that was really good. I ended up playing them again and scoring the winning goal”. 

When beginning to look at colleges, Moulton had a clear vision of what kind of school she would like to attend. She explained that, “I really just wanted to find a school that was close to home that I knew I could play at”. That school would end up being Fitchburg State, where she found herself with a spot on the team after getting in touch with the women’s soccer coach. Moulton would find success as a Falcon, seeing action in 12 games during her Freshman season, making the starting lineup in four of those appearances. Moulton’s sophomore season was cancelled due to the Coronavirus pandemic, leading to a difficult hiatus between seasons. When asked about the way she stays motivated, Moulton said, “Our team has held everyone accountable when it comes to staying in shape for the season. Family and friends have also kept me grounded as well, support at my games from my dad has been one of the most important things for me”.  

Despite suffering a recent concussion, Moulton has continued to provide leadership through her actions for the Falcons all season. Moulton sets out to be an example on more than just the field however, as she takes her academics as seriously as she takes soccer. Moulton made the MASCAC Fall/Winter all academic team for 2020/21, during her Sophomore year. Moulton hopes to complete a degree in Marketing and Advertising from Fitchburg State. After school, she hopes to get a marketing job in the NHL or the NBA.