Spindle weaves tapestry
of success at Geneva
By Dave Owen
One definition of the word spindle is “a rod or pin serving as an axis on which something revolves.”
That dictionary description has found a perfect fit (in both name and role) on the soccer field at Geneva.
Senior Anna Spindle is a key returning 2019 starter at midfielder for the Vikings. And befitting her name, much of what Geneva does in the middle third of the field revolves around her.
“She is the heart and powerhouse of our team,” Geneva coach Megan Owens said. “She’s a true team-first player who will do whatever is asked of her.”
More and more has been asked of Spindle since she debuted on the Geneva varsity in 2018.
That year, sophomores Spindle, Katie Montgomery and Ava Geen and freshmen Annie Brolly and Kelly Anderson were the wave of the future for the Vikings.
All five players remain on varsity heading into 2020. And they didn’t take long to make their presence felt two years ago in Geneva’s 12-7-4 season.
Montgomery (goalkeeper) and Brolly (defender) emerged as starters on a Geneva defense that produced nine clean-sheets in 2018.
Later in that year, Spindle claimed her own starting spot.
“My sophomore year it took me time to adjust to the fast pace of the game and learn how to keep track of my mark on defense,” Spindle said, “But I stayed patient and kept working at it.
“Each game I began to feel more comfortable as I experienced playing different types of teams with different styles of play.”
Those different teams usually had one thing in common: excellence. The 2018 slate included three games with St. Charles East (two ties, then a regional final loss), a match with eventual Missouri state runner-up Incarnate Word, of St. Louis, and other top Illinois foes like St. Charles North, Waubonsie Valley, Batavia and Naperville Central.
The 2019 season produced more success for Geneva (an 11-6-2 record, with five of those losses by one goal) against similar top competition.
And Spindle’s contributions as a key player at midfield continued to grow.
“With my time on varsity,” Spindle said, “I feel I’ve improved my passing skills, defense, and my overall speed of play.
“Midfield is a special position in soccer for me, because when I play midfield, I feel like I have limitless options. Midfielders can go forwards, backwards, left, and right, and this allows them to be creative with the ball.”
Creativity is just one part of Spindle’s strength as a player.
“She has the best work ethic on the team,” Owens said.
For Spindle, that nose-to-the-grindstone approach comes with the territory in a quest for excellence and is contagious.
“A teammate with a good work ethic is important for soccer or any sport,” Spindle said. “When I see my teammates going hard in a drill, it inspires me to raise my level of intensity to match their level. Our team can only improve when everyone is giving it their all.”
Beyond old-ffashioned hard work, there is the mental side of the game. And looking at her future plans, Spindle clearly gets high marks there as well.
She plans to major in engineering at Wisconsin-Platteville, where she will also play soccer.
“I chose Wisconsin-Platteville because I was searching for a school that had a strong engineering program as well as soccer,” Spindle said. “Although school is more important than soccer, I cannot imagine a life without both.”
Like all players, Spindle’s enjoyment of soccer has been put on hold this spring as COVID-19 has shut down all sports nationwide.
But no matter how 2020 unfolds, she has a soccer future for the next four years. So whenever play resumes, a nearly life-long love of the game will reignite.
“Soccer has been my passion since the age of five,” Spindle said. “I’ve tried other sports over the years but nothing compares to it.
“I think soccer is special because the rules are simple, but the game itself can be very complex when you are playing difficult teams.”
The usual difficult teams on the field have been replaced of late by difficult times in the world. But better days await Spindle in soccer and beyond, hopefully by May but certainly soon.
“Platteville is a great fit for me,” Spindle said, “and I am excited to do the two things I love (engineering and soccer) next year.”
of success at Geneva
By Dave Owen
One definition of the word spindle is “a rod or pin serving as an axis on which something revolves.”
That dictionary description has found a perfect fit (in both name and role) on the soccer field at Geneva.
Senior Anna Spindle is a key returning 2019 starter at midfielder for the Vikings. And befitting her name, much of what Geneva does in the middle third of the field revolves around her.
“She is the heart and powerhouse of our team,” Geneva coach Megan Owens said. “She’s a true team-first player who will do whatever is asked of her.”
More and more has been asked of Spindle since she debuted on the Geneva varsity in 2018.
That year, sophomores Spindle, Katie Montgomery and Ava Geen and freshmen Annie Brolly and Kelly Anderson were the wave of the future for the Vikings.
All five players remain on varsity heading into 2020. And they didn’t take long to make their presence felt two years ago in Geneva’s 12-7-4 season.
Montgomery (goalkeeper) and Brolly (defender) emerged as starters on a Geneva defense that produced nine clean-sheets in 2018.
Later in that year, Spindle claimed her own starting spot.
“My sophomore year it took me time to adjust to the fast pace of the game and learn how to keep track of my mark on defense,” Spindle said, “But I stayed patient and kept working at it.
“Each game I began to feel more comfortable as I experienced playing different types of teams with different styles of play.”
Those different teams usually had one thing in common: excellence. The 2018 slate included three games with St. Charles East (two ties, then a regional final loss), a match with eventual Missouri state runner-up Incarnate Word, of St. Louis, and other top Illinois foes like St. Charles North, Waubonsie Valley, Batavia and Naperville Central.
The 2019 season produced more success for Geneva (an 11-6-2 record, with five of those losses by one goal) against similar top competition.
And Spindle’s contributions as a key player at midfield continued to grow.
“With my time on varsity,” Spindle said, “I feel I’ve improved my passing skills, defense, and my overall speed of play.
“Midfield is a special position in soccer for me, because when I play midfield, I feel like I have limitless options. Midfielders can go forwards, backwards, left, and right, and this allows them to be creative with the ball.”
Creativity is just one part of Spindle’s strength as a player.
“She has the best work ethic on the team,” Owens said.
For Spindle, that nose-to-the-grindstone approach comes with the territory in a quest for excellence and is contagious.
“A teammate with a good work ethic is important for soccer or any sport,” Spindle said. “When I see my teammates going hard in a drill, it inspires me to raise my level of intensity to match their level. Our team can only improve when everyone is giving it their all.”
Beyond old-ffashioned hard work, there is the mental side of the game. And looking at her future plans, Spindle clearly gets high marks there as well.
She plans to major in engineering at Wisconsin-Platteville, where she will also play soccer.
“I chose Wisconsin-Platteville because I was searching for a school that had a strong engineering program as well as soccer,” Spindle said. “Although school is more important than soccer, I cannot imagine a life without both.”
Like all players, Spindle’s enjoyment of soccer has been put on hold this spring as COVID-19 has shut down all sports nationwide.
But no matter how 2020 unfolds, she has a soccer future for the next four years. So whenever play resumes, a nearly life-long love of the game will reignite.
“Soccer has been my passion since the age of five,” Spindle said. “I’ve tried other sports over the years but nothing compares to it.
“I think soccer is special because the rules are simple, but the game itself can be very complex when you are playing difficult teams.”
The usual difficult teams on the field have been replaced of late by difficult times in the world. But better days await Spindle in soccer and beyond, hopefully by May but certainly soon.
“Platteville is a great fit for me,” Spindle said, “and I am excited to do the two things I love (engineering and soccer) next year.”