Norwin grad Alyssa Aquilio eager to get back on field for Clarion soccer after injury

For many athletes, having a foot stepped on is just an occupational hazard of their sport. That is particularly true for soccer players.

So when Clarion forward/midfielder Alyssa Aquilio got her right foot stepped on during a preseason game against West Virginia Wesleyan last year, she didn’t think much of it. There was some pain, naturally, but team trainers chalked it up to a bone bruise.

She continued to practice as usual, and in the Golden Eagles’ season-opening match against Ursuline, she even scored a goal. But by the second match, the Norwin grad could tell something was wrong. During warmups for the game against Walsh, she said, the pain in her foot was so bad it brought her to tears.

Aquilio started the match, but, about 20 minutes in, the pain became too much to bear. She pulled herself out.

“I didn’t want to hurt the team or myself anymore,” the rising junior said.

An X-ray the following week revealed a fracture in her foot, and the recovery time, which would take weeks, cost her the rest of her sophomore season.

“I was supposed to have a pretty good year and was hoping to make a big impact,” said Aquilio, who played in all 18 matches and made 10 starts as a freshman. “So it definitely was frustrating being fit and ready for the season and kind of having to start all over again.”

Coach Jason Edwards felt the pain as well. He believed Aquilio was headed for a breakout season, and when she scored in the season opener, he said he figured that would be the first of many.

Her injury took a toll on the team, too. Her absence, along with injuries to other players — including to Aquilio’s older sister Reese, who was hampered by a bum hip — left the Golden Eagles thin and contributed to their 2-14-1 record.

“When she went down, I don’t think we really, truly appreciated how good she is,” said Edwards, entering his third year at Clarion. “One of her best friends is a teammate up top (Ciara DiMauro), and just losing that trust and compatibility they had together … that was tough.”

But Aquilio is back and at 100%. She was cleared to resume normal soccer activities in time for the spring season and will be full-go for the fall.

As frustrating as her 2024 season was, she did get to have one moment of joy. In a home game against Cal (Pa.) in October, she got to celebrate as Reese, then a junior, scored her first collegiate goal, and it came in the Golden Eagles’ only PSAC West win of the season.

For a moment, Alyssa said she forgot she wasn’t supposed to be jumping up and down on her injured foot.

“But I was jumping up and down,” she said. “I knew how much it meant for her, and it meant a lot for me to see that for her.”

Edwards said he believes his 2025 team will have more depth and be better equipped to deal with injuries, but keeping Aquilio healthy will remain key. He said Aquilio and DiMauro could form one of the PSAC’s best scoring combinations.

“This year it’s all about execution,” he said. “We generated enough shots last year. We had enough chances, but we have to execute the tasks to get the job done.”

Aquilio, too, is expecting to produce more goals. Beyond that, she said she wants to do the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet.

Being a positive influence on her teammates is important to her. After watching what they went through last year, she said, she wants to make sure everyone keeps their energy up no matter the score.

That certainly won’t be a problem for Aquilio. She is eager to get back into competition. The initial uncertainties of playing post-injury have worn off, and she wants to make Clarion a contender.

“I think the biggest realization I had last year sitting on the bench was how much I missed it and how grateful I was to ever get the opportunity to play,” she said. “And I think that it kind of taught me that every person — athlete or not — is going to go through a hard time and face setbacks.

“I think the people who are going to end up on top are the people who really don’t let the setbacks stop them.”