Junior Lilly Hewatt committed to Bridgewater College where she will further her soccer journey as a forward. 

“I’ve been playing soccer pretty much my whole life, so it’s been a big part of me, and I’m excited to play on a higher level,” Hewatt said.

While she struggled to find a school she loved, she found Bridgwater met all of her wants and needs.

“I loved everything about it,” Hewatt said. “I really liked the coach, and the team seemed like something I could find myself fitting into.” 

The recruitment process doesn’t come easy to some athletes, but for Hewatt it went surprisingly fast.

“It was definitely very stressful and hard,” she said. “But to be honest, everything moved very fast and unexpectedly.” 

The recruiting process can be full of ups and downs. However, Hewatt said it’s important to remain patient.  

“Some tournaments I wouldn’t get recognized by any coaches, and it’s definitely difficult,” Hewatt said. “But then in other tournaments, I got a lot of coaches that reached out, so it really just depends.”

Teammate and friend of years, senior Maya Weir, said Hewatt has always loved soccer and it’s been interesting to see her grow into herself as an athlete and gain confidence over the years.

“I’ve seen her score so much more and get better every single day,” Weir said. “Lily is also one of our top goal scorers so when she scores, we all know that we can get on a roll now.”

Hewatt has had so many supporters throughout her journey including her family and friends. But she specifically said her older teammates gave her advice and helped guide her. 

“My teammates, especially my older ones who have gone through this process, have helped me through this entire process,” she said.

Hewatts coach of three years, Kerry Davidson, said she could see Lily’s talent and potential as soon as she stepped on the field.

“She came in and we knew immediately she was going to be someone who was going to lead us on the field,” she said. “She’s an offensive powerhouse.”

Davidson describes Hewatt as being a force on the field.

“She’s fast, she’s speedy and she has good foot skills,” Davidson said. “She’s able to get around two or three defenders and still put the ball in the back of the net.”

She said Hewatt leads more by example rather than vocally.  

“She comes to practice, works hard, she sets good examples for her teammates,” Davidson said. “Just an all around strong athlete.”