For the past two seasons, UNF sophomore Paige McSwigan has been Women’s Soccer’s standout player— but McSwigan and Assistant Coach Morgan Luckie still think the team can achieve more. 

“She wants to be out there and get better,” Luckie said. “She wants to do the work.”

The midfielder led the Ospreys with 10 points last year and leads the group with four this season. During her freshman year, McSwigan garnered the ASUN All-Freshman and Second Team awards. Even with all the accolades, McSwigan and Luckie believe she has “more in her.”

“I feel like I had a really good year last year but I know I can do better,” McSwigan said. “Scoring more goals for my team is a big short-term goal for me.”

Luckie noted the team’s struggles last season and reiterated McSwigan’s impact to the team. 

“Last year… we didn’t have the greatest year, but she was that player that made things happen when we needed them,” Luckie added. “She has this year as well, but I think she would agree there is even more in her.”

Becoming an Osprey

McSwigan started her college career at the University of Cincinnati. She played just six games before her freshman season ended prematurely due to an injury. After a year of limited playing time, the St. Johns native returned home and transferred to UNF.

“I knew that UNF was the right pick.”

McSwigan chose the Ospreys because of her history with head coach Eric Faulconer. McSwigan said she’s known Faulconer since high school and that he attended many other games during the recruitment process. 

“He’s really easy to talk to, very personable, very empathetic,” said McSwigan.

Faulconer’s trust in her abilities was among the main reasons she transferred to UNF, according to McSwigan. She credits self-confidence for her presence as a Division One athlete. 

“Being confident in yourself is a huge deal,” McSwigan said. “And… to play free and well every single game.”

After her injury at Cincinnati, McSwigan spent most of the summer before her first season at UNF,  playing club soccer with other girls from “bigger colleges.”

“Just being able to have fun in that environment and knowing that I could play well around those college girls at bigger colleges,” said McSwigan. 

Passion and potential

According to Luckie, McSwigan is a team player. 

“She’s someone that people gravitate towards,” Luckie said. “When you’re a good person and a good teammate, that’s what happens.”

Luckie noted McSwigan’s will to perform for her team and her ability as a playmaker. 

“She wants the ball, she wants to make plays, she wants to be a playmaker,” Luckie said. “She has the ability to take players on and create plays with her movement.”

Luckie complimented McSwigan so frequently that the praise would likely fill multiple pages. To list a few of his remarks, the assistant coach credited McSwigan’s intelligence, selflessness, passion and overall potential. 

“You see the passion she has playing soccer,” Luckie said. “She enjoys playing, she’s a really good teammate, she’s a selfless person, and she really knows the game of soccer.”

McSwigan’s stats show contribution with and without the ball. During her freshman season at UNF, McSwigan started nearly every game while leading the team in goals and assists. 

“It’s not always having the ball,” Luckie said. “It’s what you do without the ball because most of the game you’re not going to have the ball.”

“She’s definitely a huge part of our program,” Luckie said. “That’s why I’m glad she’s not at Cincinnati anymore.”

To win is to have “belief”

McSwigan has learned to enjoy soccer by building her confidence and “playing free.”

With her various team and personal goals, including winning an ASUN championship and playing professionally in the future, McSwigan is still focused on enjoying the moment. 

“Enjoying [the season] is also a big thing because it goes by so fast.”

Setting high expectations for herself and her team, both McSwigan and Luckie said belief is a huge factor in winning.

“Believing that we will win each game does a lot for us,” McSwigan said. “The entire team has to have belief.”

Luckie said belief is how the program took home their first Power 4 win last month at Miami. 

McSwigan, Luckie and the rest of the UNF women’s soccer team will open ASUN conference play this week at Florida Gulf Coast University.

“The stakes are a lot higher once conference play starts,” McSwigan said. “These games are must-wins.”

McSwigan said having positive energy is essential to the team. 

“When we have energy, no one can take that away from us,” McSwigan said. “It’s how we manipulate that energy into a positive type of energy.”

The Ospreys will begin their quest to win an ASUN Championship on Thursday against FGCU. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

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