Has all the personality in the world . . . always full of energy and is never afraid of confrontation . . . excels at using her smarts to gain an upper hand on the opponent . . . after three ACL surgeries, she was told to give up playing soccer and only a handful of people believed she would have a chance to ever play . . . she beat the odds and will do anything to win.
2010 (junior): Remained injury-free throughout the season and was able to compete at full speed for the first time of her collegiate career . . . earned playing time in 18 of the team[apos]s 22 matches and logged 403 minutes of game action . . . scored a goal and added an assist for a total of three points . . . a total of six of her 10 shot attempts were on goal for a stellar .600 shots-on-goal percentage . . . scored the first goal of her collegiate career against Alabama (Aug. 20) . . . tallied a key assist in the Bulldogs[apos] thrilling 4-3 come-from-behind victory against The Citadel in the semifinal round of the 2010 Southern Conference Tournament on Nov. 5 . . . logged a career-high 38 minutes of playing time against Alabama (Aug. 20).
2009 (sophomore): Spent the year recovering from injuries that forced her to use medical redshirt seasons in 2007 and 2008.
2008 (medical redshirt): Did not play.
2007 (medical redshirt): Member of Samford[apos]s record-setting 2007 recruiting class that was ranked 68th in the nation, No. 15 in the Southeast Region and the best in the Ohio Valley Conference . . . did not play.
High School: Played with the Countryside Lightning club team under Head Coach Grandy Streets . . . helped lead the Lightning to a second-place finish in the Florida State Cup, where she served as a captain from 2005 to 2006 . . . played a major role in leading the Lakeland Lazers to a state championship before joining the Lightning . . . won two state championships and finished as a regional finalist with the Carmel United Crossfire in 2002-03 before moving to Florida . . . member of the Florida 88 ODP team from 2003 to 2006 . . . also named to the Region III Pool in 2004-06 . . . played soccer at Lakeland High School, where she scored 90 goals and tallied 73 assists in three seasons . . . received All-County honors all three years . . . was named the Offensive Player of the Year as a sophomore . . . earned Most Valuable Player accolades as a junior.
Personal: Born Aug. 18, 1988 . . . daughter of Jackie and Dave Matern . . . majoring in elementary education with a minor in family studies.
ONE-ON-ONE WITH MATERN
I can[apos]t imagine going a week without: seeing my boyfriend/best friend
I have to admit, I am really good at: tearing my right ACL
My most prized possession is: Longdog, my stuffed animal
People you would most like to meet: Nicki Minaj and Dr. Phil
Favorite places to eat: Taco Bell and Joe[apos]s Crab Shack
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT
My favorite Samford memory is: Before the semifinal of the 2010 conference tournament, I prayed to myself that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. When I got the game-winning assist, Michelle Moll jumped into my arms with tears in her eyes telling me there were only four minutes and 13 seconds left. The verse that I prayed was Philippians 4:13. I found God through Samford soccer.
The one thing I[apos]ll miss the most about Samford soccer is: Driving on (as Coach Jay Yelton would say). This team has been my family and support for the past years. God has placed struggles in my life and I could not have gotten through them without the staff and the team. I have tried my hardest to keep a smile on my face, positive attitude and always make my teammates laugh.
The most important thing I can tell incoming freshmen is: Every single girl on the team has an important role; whether it be an injured player, a star goal-scorer or someone who gets two minutes of playing time. Always strive to make an impact and never give up. You never know when your last practice or your last minute in a game will be. Don[apos]t take things too seriously and make someone laugh each practice.