When most athletes accomplish an amazing feat such as scoring a hat trick, they like to bask in the glow for a while. Britney Butcher, Miami’s sophomore soccer star does not act like most athletes.
When asked about her honor as the Big East Player of the Week, she commented that someone had told her about it, and expanded no further.
“It’s a nice honor, but I just care about wins and losses,” Butcher said.
That modesty has helped Butcher become one of the most dominant athletes on the Hurricane soccer team.
Butcher, a 19-year-old sophomore from Bothell, WA, did not come out of high school as a highly recruited soccer player. The schools Butcher had looked at mostly included small private schools in the Seattle area. Her future plans changed drastically when her club team came to Ft. Lauderdale for a tournament.
Britney caught the eye of former UM coach Jim Blankenship and assistant coach Missy Price. UM soccer had found a diamond in the rough that would help take their program to the next level.
Britney made an immediate impact as a freshman, helping to lead the team into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in its short history. Butcher led the team in points and assists with 24 and eight respectively, and finished second in goals with eight. Unfortunately, after UM jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first round game of the NCAA tournament against Georgia, Butcher went down with a lacerated spleen. The team ended up losing the game 5-2.
After her freshman season ended with injury, Butcher came into her sophomore season wanting to help the team even more than she had in her freshman year. Butcher got to work right away scoring hat tricks in the first two games of the season against Stetson and University of South Florida.
The Big East named Butcher as their Player of the Week and Soccer America made her the first ever
UM soccer player to earn a spot on their Team of the Week.
When asked how she has reacted to her success so far this season, Butcher said: “I have set higher standards for myself. Personal statistics mean nothing to me if our team doesn’t win.”
In the ‘Canes loss to Missouri last weekend, Butcher scored a goal to tie the game at 1-1, however; the goal got called back as a result of a suspect off-sides penalty. The goal would have given Butcher seven goals in the first four games of the season, but she did not care about that.
“I could care less about that goal,” said Butcher. “My only concern is whether or not the team wins the game.”
Some star players tear a team apart with enormous egos or playing for personal goals as opposed to playing for the team. Britney Butcher conducts herself in the completely opposite manner of an egotistical superstar. Her leadership and modesty help provide guidance for a team that seems destined for success.
Butcher will surely score many more hat tricks in her collegiate career but you
Won’t hear about them from her.
Nate Johnson can be reached at NPJ44@aol.com