After a stellar college soccer career with Notre Dame, Kerri Hanks is still learning the ropes in WPS.  The forward has only scored two goals and been traded once but is confident that if she keeps her focus and having fun her success from college will follow her to WPS.

By Lars Lifrak

It was the kind of goal Sky Blue FC forward Kerri Hanks had scored hundreds of times before and it showed.  In the first minute of injury time in a scoreless game against Chicago, Hanks gathered in a pass from teammate Keeley Dowling at the top of the box, took one touch to her right and fired a rocket inside the post to give Sky Blue a crucial 1-0 win and make herself a goal of the year candidate in the process.

“As a forward your job is to finish so everyday we do go out and work on it”, said Hanks of that goal.  “I’ve done it a lot and it just paid off.”

A goal like that wasn’t a surprise to anyone who saw Hanks play in college at Notre Dame.  She is one of only four players to win the Hermann Trophy two times, joining 1999 World Cup winners Mia Hamm and Cindy Parlow, and Canada’s all-time goal scorer Christine Sinclair on that list.  Hanks finished her career with the Fighting Irish as the only player in Division I history to reach the plateau of 73 goals and 73 assists (she actually scored 84 goals).  Simply put, she is one of the best college soccer players ever.  So no, it wasn’t a surprise to see her score a goal like that, what has been a surprise is that it was one of only two goals she has scored so far this season.

“Maybe just a little bit of a rough start confidence-wise has caused her to be a little bit behind the eight ball”, says Sky Blue head coach Kelly Lindsey.  “Sometimes I think she’s someone everyone zones in on, because everyone knows about Kerri and knows what she’s capable of.  It’s not like anyone is going to leave her unmarked in the final third”.

After being selected 6th overall in the draft by St. Louis, Hanks started six of the team’s first nine games, and had no goals and just one assist to show for her efforts.  She lost her starting job, and despite scoring her first goal of the season against L.A. was traded to Sky Blue FC two days later.  A move she didn’t see coming.

“I had less than 24 hours notice and I was packing up and moving”, says Hanks.  “I just had two bags, went to New Jersey and then luckily my parents did most of the (moving) work.  That’s professional sports.  Trades are going to be made whether you like them or not.  I can only learn from this and try to grow as a person and a player.”

One thing that has been encouraging for Hanks since her arrival in New Jersey has been the advice she’s gotten from some of her more experienced teammates. 

“You look up to your leaders like Keeley Dowling, Christie Rampone and Heather O’Reilly”, says Hanks. “They (tell me), ‘You are your own player with your own flair.  Bring it to this game and you’ll do well.’”
 
Hanks admits the transition to the WPS has been a bit harder than she expected at times, but she didn’t become one of the most decorated players in college soccer by backing down from a challenge.

”I had a great college career, but the transition is different.  Some days are going to be harder than others but I’ve played this game since I was four years old.  You know what you have to do” says Hanks, sounding like she’s giving herself a pep talk right on the field.  “You know what goes on, you know what you have to do.  Do what you know, do what you’ve done since age four and have fun.”

Coach Lindsey agrees it’s only a matter of time before Hanks is a star in the WPS.

“She’ll get there”, says Lindsey confidently.  ”One of her best attributes is that she reads the game so well tactically, which is going to help her as the league develops.  Once she finds her rhythm she is going to be great in this league.”