CAZENOVIA — On Nov. 3, Cazenovia High School graduate Jamie Joseph led her Clark University soccer team to victory in the New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Semifinals.
Joseph, who is earning her graduate degree in teaching at the No. 4-seeded university, scored the game-winning goal in the 45th minute with a header off a corner kick.
The 1-0 victory against the No. 1 seeded and nationally ranked No. 16 Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) earned the team its first appearance in the NEWMAC Championship Game in the program’s history.
The win was also the program’s first victory over MIT since 2005 and it eliminated the four-time defending NEWMAC Champions.
Joseph described scoring the winning goal against MIT as surreal.
“My teammates have been working tirelessly all season to get where we were at, and I was just glad to walk away from the game with a win,” Joseph said.
The Nov. 5 championship came against No. 3 Emerson marked the conclusion of Joseph’s final season as a Clark University Cougar.
Although Clark ultimately lost out on the championship title (Emerson 1, Clark 0), Joseph said she believes getting to the final was a huge accomplishment and the first big step in getting Clark Women’s Soccer the recognition it deserves.
“I can’t wait to see what’s in store for [Clark University Women’s Soccer] next season and know they will make all the alumni proud,” said Joseph.
On Wednesday, Nov. 9, Joseph was named the 2022 NEWMAC Women’s Soccer Athlete of the Year.
Joseph graduated from Cazenovia High School in 2018. She played on the modified team in seventh grade before moving up to the girls’ varsity team from eighth grade through her senior year. She also played on the Syracuse Development Academy (SDA) club team in high school.
“Club soccer prepared me for my college career as it allowed me to get touches on the ball year-round, practice with some of the top players in the Syracuse area and compete against some of the best players in the country,” said Joseph. “As for school soccer, I believe my coaches and teammates played a huge role in preparing me for my college soccer career. Having the opportunity to be coached by all former collegiate women’s soccer players — Dawn Rajkowski, Kassie Klein, Kara Connellan, and Kaleen Sessler — showed me it was possible to take my soccer career to the next level. The coaches always set a fun yet competitive tone for practice, which was maintained by my teammates. We’ve always had a sort of family culture on the Cazenovia Girls’ Soccer, which always motivated me and my teammates to be our best for each other.”
Joseph added that when she thinks back on her experience playing for the Lakers, she has nothing but fond memories.
“Our teams were always super close, and I will never forget the countless team dinners, sleepovers, and homecoming weekends that made being part of the team so special,” she said.
