Kristina Syragakis, sophomore sports marketing major, has been a pivotal factor in the success of the women’s soccer team this season.
Syragakis transferred from The University of Akron in Ohio, which has a competitive Division I soccer program. She heard about FMU from head women’s soccer coach Sam Holmes, who recruited Syragakis in his quest to better FMU’s women’s soccer program.
“I chose FMU because I had a great connection with coach Sam, who ultimately wanted to turn the program around and was looking to have a successful program right away,” Syragakis said. “I also loved the idea of South Carolina because of its warmer weather.”
On top of having an instant connection with the head coach, Syragakis also fell in love with the provided facilities and the overall FMU community.
“The athletic facilities are also what drew me here,” Syragakis said. “I chose a Division II school to be able to focus more on my mental health and school all while still trying to compete at a high level. My favorite aspect of FMU so far has to be the people. The culture here is amazing and everyone has been so supportive.”
So far, the women’s soccer program has already been ranked as high as eighth for the region’s NCAA Division II schools.
“Being ranked eighth in the region is a massive accomplishment for this team and the program,” Syragakis said. “We have worked extremely hard all summer and during preseason, and to be able to see our hard work pay off on paper is so rewarding.”
Additionally, the team’s ranking has helped with the players’ confidence, which has reinforced the motivation they have had since day one.
“This ranking has shown us that we are able to compete against the best teams in the region and that there is truly nothing out of reach for us at this moment,” Syragakis said. “The team morale has been amazing recently. Our confidence continues to rise and our motivation has been there since day one and I don’t see that going anywhere anytime soon. This team works extremely hard and that is what has gotten us to where we are right now.”
In her opening season for the Patriots, Syragakis scored 10 goals in 10 games, a feat that gained recognition from FMU’s athletic social media pages. Syragakis had surgery on her wrist at the end of her last season, causing her to take four months off. Being able to accomplish this was all that much more meaningful to her following her break from playing.
“Scoring 10 goals in 10 games is not something that I expected to do when I first got here,” Syragakis said. “I got surgery on my hand at the end of my last collegiate season and couldn’t play for almost four months. Scoring only one goal at my old school, coming here and doing big things for this program is definitely so rewarding and something I will always be grateful for. It truly shows what having a team and coach believing in you can do for you.”
Syragakis has set the bar high for herself, as well as her team, in terms of her personal goals for this season. However, these goals are not far out of reach, considering the women’s soccer team is among the top contenders for the Conference Carolinas conference tournament.
“My goal for this season is to be able to create as many scoring opportunities as possible, whether that be for myself or my teammates,” Syragakis said. “Another goal is to win the conference and conference tournament which I don’t think is out of reach for us and is very attainable at this moment.”
Although being a full-time college athlete has its own set of challenges, Syragakis attributes her time as a student-athlete as the thing that helps keep her on top of everything.
“Being a full-time student-athlete is definitely challenging, but I think that a good planner has helped me stay on top of everything,” Syragakis said. “The more organized you are, the easier college will be. I tend to only be overwhelmed when I lose track of assignments or test dates.”