Moretti, a Westerly, R.I. native, has been playing soccer since she was 7-years-old.,Six goals in four games. That’s a pretty good output for an entire soccer teams. But that’s how many goals junior forward Mallory Moretti scored by herself. And in those four games, her team was 4-0.
Moretti, a Westerly, R.I. native, has been playing soccer since she was 7-years-old.
Normally an outside midfielder, she was moved to forward during the team’s early season plague of injuries. Now, back at her natural position, Moretti is thriving more than ever before.
“I came in as a freshman three years ago under the impression I was going to be a forward,” says Moretti. “I kind of adjusted to midfield the past few years but was never fully comfortable there. When Coach Tassanari moved me up top, I was pretty happy. I have more confidence as a striker than I do at outside midfield. I feel I play better there, too.”
Off the field, Moretti is a broadcast journalism major and has no problem balancing her academics with soccer season. Although the team practices four times a week from 7-9 p.m., she feels that during soccer season her day is much more structured.
“I actually prefer [balancing school with soccer]. Come the end of soccer season, I feel lost; [soccer] helps me manage my time much more. When I don’t have a practice or a game, I tend to procrastinate more often.”
Moretti also hopes to stay involved with sports after she graduates, but in a different capacity.
“Ideally, I would love to work at either ESPN or ABC anchoring for either sports news or breaking news … but we’ll see what comes after graduation.”
Moretti is also a member of the Emerson women’s softball team and participates in the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. In her spare time, she enjoys being with friends, working out, watching TV or movies, and reading. She is also part of WERS and WEBN Sports, and hopes to get involved with the Emerson Streaming Network in the future.
For now, however, the main thing on her mind is the postseason.
“Going into the playoffs, we know as the fourth or fifth seed who our competition is going to be,” she said. “Whether we have a first-round game at home or on the road should not make a difference, because we have confidence no matter where we play.”
Moretti has been the catalyst for the team’s recent winning streak and it is the confidence she exudes that inspires her teammates.
Asked about the rest of the season, Moretti did not skip a beat.
“We’re shaping up pretty well,” she said.
“Everyone’s getting much healthier, so we have a deeper bench. We have two games left before the playoffs. I don’t see us going anywhere but up.”
With a large portion of the Lions’ nucleus being underclassmen, Moretti is also optimistic about the prospects for next year’s team.
“This program has come a long way since my freshman year … the talent coming into this program is unbelievable,” she said. “I was absolutely blown away this season by our freshmen. They really stepped up and became equals on the field. As a senior next year, I hope that the kind of success we have been building for becomes a reality and we are able to take the conference title.”