Welcome to the first of many episodes of Captain’s Corner, where I sit down each week with a captain of a Middlebury athletics team to talk captain to captain about the role, the team and their life at Middlebury.
This week I had the chance to catch up with Ellie Bavier ‘22.5 and hear how the women’s soccer team is doing this season. Bavier has been up for the team for some time and hopes to lead them to back-to-back NESCAC championship wins and, hopefully, a return to the national championship after finishing second in the finals of his rookie year.
Captain Rudolph: When did you start playing and loving football?
Ellie Bavier: I started playing in kindergarten, but I don’t think that’s when I fell in love with football. I was one of those kids picking dandelions in the field. I feel like I really started liking him in middle school. Once I started competing for club teams in my area and put a lot more time into it, I actively saw my hard work paying off, which was obviously a very satisfying feeling, and I could playing with teammates that inspired me and opposing teams that were fun competition. Then, my freshman year of high school, I realized that was something I could do in college.
CR: As captain of the team now, how do you try to be a constructive leader?
EB: It’s something I thought about a lot as the season approached. I’m a loud person, that’s for sure, and I can’t really stop talking when I’m on the pitch. So I could have decided to be a vocal leader who always screams and howls, but I think alongside my co-captains, Elise Morris ‘22.5 and Cate Wagner ‘22.5, we each decided we could play different roles where we see fit. . I experienced it and I tried this year to be like a team mom for my beautiful team. The role comes with its own responsibility of accountability and making sure everyone is in the same headspace. I also took care of some aspects of invigorating team building, like creating a warm-up playlist.
CR: What’s the best goal you’ve scored?
EB: That’s a fun question. I have a few goals I scored during my time at Midd, including an Olimpico, which was curved into the back post from corner position, but the one that stands out is my goal from a few weeks ago against Hamilton in a 4-1 win. It was a shot from around 25 yards that went the top 90 yards from the left side of the net while shooting from the right side of the field. It’s my senior season and I also attended the game, it’s something I will remember for a while! It was a happy match for me.
CR: Do you have any unique pre-game rituals?
EB: Personally, I like to listen to a specific playlist of songs. Every year I choose a new song that I like to listen to before games. So for my fifth year, I tried to listen to them all before every game, which humbles me and gives me an idea of how long I’ve been playing. And, as a team, we have a locker room dance party 10 minutes before every game, and then right before our silent walkout, we have a common five-second throaty scream that’s usually just outside our opponents locker room, that which is quite funny.
CR: Besides life in the team, what do you like about Middlebury?
EB: This is my last fall, I’m really trying to enjoy being in Vermont because usually during the season we’re really busy playing football and we don’t take the chance to explore the beautiful and beautiful Vermont. Obviously Middlebury is in such an amazing place, and any ride you do is beautiful, so I just want to enjoy it. The other thing I love is that, honestly, there are amazing teachers here, and I’ve been lucky enough to have close relationships with a few of them while exploring my own academic interests. I just appreciate the care the teachers put into our education. Also, I love the art scene in Middlebury. There are a lot of cool clubs and different things that people are passionate about. I used to be in an a cappella group, and those memories are some of my favorites from my time here in Midd.
CR: What game should every Panther fan attend this regular season?
EB: Well, right now all the NESCAC teams have been beaten, which means they’re going to be very competitive this year. So we really can’t take a single game for granted. Williams is one of our biggest rivals and the last game of the regular season. In terms of home games, this should be a great game, as well as our game against Connecticut College. [Those will be home games that take place at Dragone Field. Sunday, Oct. 9 at 12 p.m. vs. Connecticut, Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. vs. Williams].
CR: Do you have any specific plans after you graduate?
EB: Yes, I’m doing graduate life science consulting at Clearview in their New York office starting in September. So, I have some time until then because I’m graduating in February. I’m going to try to travel a lot as I haven’t been able to go overseas due to Covid-19 so ideally I’ll do the classic A European tour and then try to do a road trip out west here in the United States with my brother. I just try to have as much freedom as possible before I start working in the corporate world.
This interview has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
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