Story courtesy of Matt Williams, sports writer for the Salem News

Cathryn Folkestad still remembers her freshman year on the women's soccer team at Lesley University. The Lynx were in a bad spot; they weren't particularly competitive and even struggled to get 11 players on the field for some games.

Four years later, Folkestad, now a senior captain, has helped engineer a dramatic turnaround. The Lynx (10-4-1) are perfect in New England Collegiate Conference play and are looking to return to the conference championship for the second straight season.

"It was definitely tough and a little disheartening (as a freshman)," said Folkestad, an Ipswich native. "But it feels great knowing that we've turned it around and are starting to get on the map in Division 3."

Lesley's men's coach, Paul Vasconcelos, took over the team when Folkestad was a sophomore, and the Lynx quickly made the biggest turnaround in Division 3 history by going from 2-15-2 to 14-4-1. Last year, Folkestad was a first-team all-conference selection as the Lynx won a school record 16 games.

It's a year they're hoping to build on after dropping the league final to Elms on penalty kicks.

"We have a lot of talented freshman, but it's funny because they almost expect to win," said Folkestad. "Some of the teams we're beating 7-0 are teams we lost to as freshmen, but the newer girls look at it like its nothing."

Hamilton's Hailee Lowe, an all-conference pick at goalkeeper last year and also an all-conference basketball player, has also been a big part of Cambridge school's success. The 6-foot goalie has a 0.85 goals-against-average to go with four shutouts.

"She's having a great season," Folkestad said of her one-time Cape Ann League rival. "We actually live together now and we're having a lot of fun with it."

A back, Folkestad has four goals this fall, including a game-winner, but is more focused on the defensive side of the field.

"I play center back, which coach tells me has to be the backbone of the team," she explained. "I can see the whole field, so a lot of what I'm doing is directing the team, letting people know where to be and being vocal."

Folkestad, 21, is due to graduate in May and majors in holistic psychology. She has a health minor and is considering getting into physical therapy as a graduate student, but for now her studies remain focused on a unique branch of psychology.

"It's a whole body study rather than just focusing on the mind or the brain," Folkestad said. "It combines mind and body with health and wellness, sort of keeping everything balanced.

"I'm probably more interested in the health aspect, but Lesley doesn't have a lot of science so you make the best of it."

Making the best of it is exactly what Folkestad has done on the pitch as well. She's proud to have been a part of building a program from the doldrums to a regional Division 3 contender. The Lynx would relish the chance to see just how far they've come with a conference title and NCAA tournament berth at the end of the season.

"I'm looking forward to seeing how we do even after I graduate," said Folkestad. "We've had some tough losses but we've had a tougher schedule this year. So far it's been a good season - a lot of fun."