Year: Senior (2008)

Major: Business Management

HOMETOWN/HS: Westminster, MA/Oakmont Regional HS

Sport/Position: Soccer/Defender

Favorite Movie: Cinderella/Sound of Music/Wizard of Oz

Favorite Book: To Kill a Mockingbird

Favorite Food: Mashed Potatoes with ketchup

"I am the athlete I am today because of my coaching staff"

SR Jillian Leger has been a 4-year starting Defender and 2-year Captain for Head Women's Soccer Coach Michael Bolanz. During her time as a player for St. Joe's the team has amassed a 50-24-4 (.676) record including a 16-2-3 season in her senior year, the best in the program's history. As a senior, Jillian was named as a GNAC First Team All Conference Defender. As a junior she earned nominations to the All-Independent Women's Soccer First Team and the D3 Kicks All-New England Second Team. After her sophomore year she was named to the All-Independent Women's Soccer team as well. Leger will certainly go down as one of the best Defenders to ever don a Saint Joseph's College uniform.


Head Soccer Coach Michael Bolanz on Jillian Leger:

Jillian Leger has been an impact player for us since the day she stepped onto our campus and into our program. A four year starter, she has anchored a very strong backline, which has brought home two Northeast Region Independent Championships and two ECAC Championship births. Jillian will go down as one of the best players ever to wear a Monks uniform. Being named to the 2007 GNAC First Team certainly was well deserved. In her four years here, I have seen her develop both as a very strong player on the field and a strong person off of it. For the last two years, Jillian has served as Captain and has been a tremendous leader and someone the younger players look up to. Her work rate and desire to succeed will make her very successful in any future endeavors.


Do you have any superstitions before you go into a big game?

I get up very early so I can prepare mentally for the team we will be playing. I go down to the training room an hour early to get worked on before each game. I always put my left shin guard and sock on before my right. My captain's band is always the last part of my uniform that goes on. The first step onto the field was always dramatic like I was letting the field know that I was there and ready to play.


What is your most memorable moment as an athlete at St. Joe's?

My most memorable moment was the first time that I put on my number 15 uniform for the Monks. At that moment I realized that I had reached my goal of playing soccer at the collegiate level, a goal that I had worked so hard to achieve.


Who has had the greatest impact on your life?

My parents have had the greatest impact on my life. My mom has been my rock and has always been there for me and my dad has always been my biggest fan. They were at most of my games including my Senior game and my GNAC Tournament game.


Why did you choose Saint Joseph's College?

I always intended to go away to college and I have felt like I would go somewhere in Maine because I have vacationed in Old Orchard Beach since I was a little girl. I like the small school atmosphere and the campus is beautiful. St. Joe's was actually the only school I applied to. Also, I received my acceptance letter from SJC before I had the chance to apply anywhere else. I knew I wanted to attend St. Joe's, so I didn't bother to fill out any other application forms.

Can you tell us something about you that most people don't know?

I am obsessed with Cinderella. I have a Cinderella custom-made poster and many, many figurines. My nickname in intramural softball is Jillerella.


What kind of effects has your St. Joseph's College Coaching staff had on your life?

Coach Bolanz and I started off together here at St. Joe's, he was a first year head coach and I was a first year player. Simply stated, I am the athlete I am today because of my coaching staff. These coaches have taken the women's soccer program from being in the middle of the pack to the elite level. Adding Janelle Harris and Jeff Yaeger to the staff as assistants has made a huge impact on the team. Coach Bolanz has put his heart and soul into this program with recruiting players that fit into the system.


What are your plans after graduation?

I just accepted a job as a support specialist in the human resources department at Mercy Hospital in Portland. I am starting part time in January and will be full time after I graduate. It involves an array of tasks which is good because that makes the job more interesting.


What would you say is the most difficult part of being a captain of a collegiate team?

I learned so much from my junior year to my senior year. I used to come across and handle people the same way and didn't understand that different people have different personalities. I learned to be more aware of how my personality mixes with other peoples' personalities. I've learned to adapt my leadership skills to my teammates' needs. Junior year was very humbling being a captain. My teammates and the coaches picked me to be a captain and it was only my junior year. We had a very young team and we struggled on and off the field. It was hard being a vocal leader with two senior captains above me. At first I didn't feel that I could express myself the way that I normally do. My senior year I felt much more confident as a captain and in the long run I think it helped out the team tremendously.

The 2007 Women's Soccer team finished the season with an incredible record of 16-2-3. Why do you think your team was so successful this year?

Since day one we have played at a higher level pace than we ever had. We had a continuing desire for excellence. We all wanted to win and get better and become a closer team. This was the best team I have ever been apart of in my entire life. Saying that in your senior year is such an amazing thing. We truly went out on top. I give all the credit to the girls on the team because they really wanted it, and also Coach Bolanz because he did such a great job recruiting. Everyone was dedicated to each other and to the team in a way that I have never seen before. Everyone was on the same page immediately to start the season and it continued through the end of the season.

Interview by Brian DeCandia '10, Athletics Office Assistant