GRAND ISLAND, NY. (WKBW) — In the midst of a deep playoff run this summer. The FC Buffalo women’s soccer team called on Grand Island High School’s Ella Rudney to help make their championship dreams a reality. Sadly it didn’t end in a national title being hoisted. But it sure prepared Rudney for her senior year as a Viking. And if she wasn't already, her name was quickly put on the map.
“To be around a lot of great leaders at FC Buffalo really helped me here because I’m a captain here now. So I learned from them what to do as a captain here," Rudney told 7 Sports.
Her natural-born gift on the pitch is why Grand Island head coach Dave Bowman took a chance on Rudney to play on his varsity team as a freshman. Her work ethic has made it easy to justify that decision he made four years ago.
“If she has a free moment, She’s doing something soccer related. She’s out here on turf throughout the summer. And that’s all summer long," Bowman says. "It’s not to stay in shape or the occasional once a week. It’s like a daily routine for her.”
“If I’m not working hard and I’m not doing my best I can’t tell anyone else that they need to do better," Added Rudney. "So I think my big thing is kind of just showing them through my play what they need to do. And then they just bring it out because they have the skill set to do that.”
It’s that self-induced level of accountability that propelled Rudney into a commitment to play division one soccer at the University of Nebraska. Taking her talents to the next level is all she’s ever dreamed about. And the people closest to her are a big reason why.
"My dad is the first to tell me when I had a bad game and I know he knows what he’s talking about. So I have to just keep going. I owe a lot to my parents," she said.
“I think most coaches would say she’s that once in a career, once in a lifetime player that comes through," Bowman adds.
