Kelly Conway, the UW women’s soccer team goalkeeper, is a talker. So it’s no surprise that the loudest and most powerful voice coming from the field is hers.
“You can’t ask players to be what they are not,” said head coach Dean Duerst. “That’s what Kelly is. She’s giving what she is. Kelly has to play that role — to show that she is the leadership of this team.”
As a senior and co-captain this year, the Littleton, Colorado native has been the anchor for the Badgers’ defense for the past three years, building impressive numbers and gaining the experience and know-how to lead this year’s young team.
“Through the years, she’s learned how to address her teammates as a group and how to help them individually” said Duerst.
It is this type of leadership, looking for the betterment of the team and each individual, that creates good chemistry within a team — arguably, it’s the most essential component to a team reaching its potential.
“I want to win the Big Ten; I think that we have a really good shot at it,” said Conway. “We have been showing that we are pretty good, and I think that we can make an NCAA appearance and do well. We played UConn Friday, who was ranked No. 8 in the nation, and I think we clobbered them. We can play with the best. I don’t think there is anyone out there that can outplay us.”
Conway has an unwavering confidence in the team but maintains a humility regarding her own goals and attributes as a player.
“What makes her such a great leader is that she is the hardest working and most focused player out there,” said Duerst.
Conway has athletic brawn with the brains to match. Last year, she was elected to the Academic All-Big Ten team, adding to an already impressive list of Wisconsin goalkeepers to be honored. After the season, the accounting major plans on interning in Chicago with Ernst & Young for a few months before returning to UW for graduate school.
As a youngster, though, Conway’s path did not seem as clear as it is now.
“When I first started playing soccer, I didn’t even want to become a goalkeeper,” said Conway. “My coach made me. We didn’t have a goalie, so my coach put me in for one game. I begged him to not make me a goalie, but he thought that I was pretty good, so he convinced me to stay with it. Things have worked out pretty well because of it I think.”
After a stellar high school career, in which she led her Colorado club team to two national championships, her decision to come to Wisconsin was easy.
“I have always been a Big Ten fan; both of my parents went to Michigan, and when I came here to visit, it just seemed to fit.”
As Conway’s career as a Badger comes to a close, she will, in all likelihood, become the all-time saves leader in the history of the women’s soccer team.
“Someone said that to me the other day, that I was only a few saves away from breaking the record. I had no idea,” said Conway.
“It’s nice to have your name written up, but numbers only can say so much. The game has changed so much since the goalie who has the record, Heather Taggart, played. There was less shooting back then, and she let in more goals than I did, so I don’t think that record is a fair comparison.”
If nothing else, the record stands for Conway’s dedication and consistency, two attributes Coach Duerst calls her greatest. It’s this kind of consistency that is imperative to the continued success of both Conway’s play and the team’s in order for them to achieve their goals this season.
“This is my last year, and I just want to walk away feeling happy with the way things went. No regrets.”
