From club soccer teammates to college teammates, two Colonels have made the journey from Lafayette to Thibodaux together.

Midfielders Bethany Hollier and Hannah Savoie won two state titles and made two seminal appearances during their time at Teurlings Catholic High School. Apart from playing high school soccer together, they also played club soccer together.

“We’ve known each other since kindergarten,” Savoie said. “We pretty much blew everyone out in high school, but it wasn’t nearly as fast paced as it is now. It’s an adjustment.”

Savoie and Hollier maintained a 3.9 GPA throughout their entire high school careers. They not only won several titles with the Rebels, but were also involved on campus.

“I always put school first,” Savoie said. “I make sure that everything gets done before soccer.”

Savoie also said that she dedicated the offseason to gaining muscle to deal with the physical demands of the sport.

“I worked out a lot over the summer, and I knew that last year I was one of the smallest on the team,” Savoie said. “I knew I needed to get stronger, and I feel a lot stronger this year.”

Hollier said that the experience they received from high school helped prepare them for the college game, but she also said the competition is more challenging in the college game.

“The state games were the biggest games that we have ever been in,” Hollier said. “In college, every game is an intense, high competition match.”

Hollier scored her first goal as a Colonel against Southern University and A&M College this season.

Assistant coach, Brianna Pickenpaugh said that it was nice for players to have a familiarity with each other before they even stepped onto the field. She said that it made it easier for the team to build chemistry.

“For two players coming from the same program, it’s great to have the history because you already know how they play,” Pickenpaugh said. “We have the same situation with our centerback and our goalkeeper; they played on the same club team.”

Pickenpaugh also said that they push the students to take care of all their business off the field. She said that it showed their dedication to the club and the school.

“We want our students to be complete student athletes, and the fact that they have done so well off the field shows a lot about their character,” Pickenpaugh said. “It just shows how much they want to be a Colonel, and how much they want to get involved in things outside of athletics.”

Savoie and Hollier are two of the top three players in minutes played with 419 and 389 minutes respectively this season. The Colonels have won one game out of their last five regular season games, but Savoie said the experience is valuable. Savoie said the team needs to work on several areas before conference play begins.

“We are gaining experience, but we can always improve,” Savoie said.