It’s not the size of the bear in the fight. It’s the size of the fight in the bear.
Joining the Mercer University Bears women’s soccer team in fall 2013, Cochrane’s Katelyn Dimopoulos signed on with a boutique-grade program at a southern U.S. school with a total student population of 8,300 spread across three Georgia campuses.
The Cochrane High School Cobras class of 2013 grad now finds herself playing for a Top 10-ranked team in the National Collegiate Athletics Association’s Southern Conference.
It’s the kind of thing that can happen at the next level.
“It’s great. Our team’s doing really well this year. We have 10 seniors on the team, so we have a lot of leadership,” Dimopoulos says of the team playing at Mercer’s Macon, GA, campus. “We’re currently in first place in the conference. We’re ranked 10th in the Southeast right now (by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America).
“It’s really great. It’s the first time we’ve ever been ranked in the Southeast.”
She started her sophomore season at fullback, but has moved to the forward ranks at the outside striker slot. She likes the change.
“I like to take people on one-on-one and get shots in,” she says of her work at the offensive end of the pitch. “I was liking outside back, but I think I’m more comfortable up top.”
Head coach Tony Economopoulos is comfortable moving the Cochranite around the field. Her time with Carolyn McLeod’s program at Cochrane High netted Dimopoulos the versatility and reliability Economopoulos looks for in his players.
“She is a versatile player who started out in the back for us, and did very well,” Economopoulos relates. “We have now moved her up front to help generate more scoring opportunities.”
The Mercer coach is also impressed with Dimopoulos’s work ethic.
“She came in her first year and had an impact, which isn’t always easy for a true freshman to do,” he continues. “We challenged her after her first season to get stronger, quicker and more fit, and she did all those things. She reported back to pre-season camp in great shape and you could see all her work she put in during the off-season.”
It appears the next level is a good fit for the 5-foot-8, 19-year-old mechanical-engineering student.
“It’s definitely a lot more challenging. It’s a new level for sure,” Dimopoulos surmises. “High school soccer and club soccer definitely prepares you for this. If you take it seriously and work hard during your high school years, you can definitely do well in college soccer.”
Well enough to help your team earn a Top-10 ranking in NCAA Div. 1.
