Marta Bakowska-Mathews is dipping her toes into the W-League waters this summer, joining the Seattle Sounders women while home from Florida State University, where the Victoria resident majors in physics.
Having just completed her sophomore season at FSU, the 19-year-old midfielder was named player of the match for the Sounders in a 0-0 draw against the Vancouver Whitecaps in an exhibition game on Friday at the Starfire Sports Complex Stadium in Tukwila, Wash. And she only came on as a substitute at the half.
鈥淭hat was exciting. I鈥檓 very happy with that start,鈥� the former St. Michaels University School and Brentwood College student 鈥� who was born in Kent, England, and resided there for her first 14 years 鈥� said in a phone interview.
The Sounders will open their regular season at home against the L.A. Strikers on Monday.
鈥淚 wanted to be close enough so that I could come home regularly and Seattle seemed the best option and best quality team as well,鈥� Mathews said of her choice to join the Sounders. 鈥淚鈥檓 expecting this team to do pretty well.
鈥淚 think we can get to the final four and get to a championship. With the quality of players we have, I think there鈥檚 a lot of potential. Quite a few national players; U-20 Americans and Canadians.
鈥淚t will be a very good experience. I want to win a championship and I would love to be able to help the team do that,鈥� she added. 鈥淚 also want to use this season to make my Forida State season better. Work on skills that I might need to work on.鈥�
Mathews is coming off a fine season in which she appeared in 11 games with the FSU Seminoles, finishing with two goals and three assists and ranked eighth on the team in points.
The Victoria resident etched her name in the Seminoles鈥� record book with a three-assist outing against Jackson State, recording helpers on the final three goals to tie a single-game school record for assists in a game. Mathews also played a season-high 59 minutes in that match. That record left her tied with three other Seminoles. The last one was Jessica Price in 2010.
Mathews also scored in consecutive games, posting a goal in FSU鈥檚 first two NCAA Tournament matches, tallying against Mississippi Valley State and Texas Tech.
鈥淚t was a very good year,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 had a good string and I鈥檓 looking to get back in the fall and make an impact. We got to the Final Four and we went undefeated for 14 games.鈥�
At the Final Four, Florida State lost 1-0 to Penn State in the semifinals after defeating Notre Dame 1-0 in quarter-finals.
In her first game with the Sounders, she helped the midfield control much of the attack in the second half on her way to player of the game honours.
鈥淚 definitely felt that we should have scored in the end, it was just unfortunate that we didn鈥檛 get it,鈥� said Mathews.
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