Seven seniors make up Central Connecticut’s women soccer team. Since the rookies joined the team in 2016, the Blue Devils have won 39 games, taken home a Northeast Conference Championship and held opponents scoreless in 32 games.

Senior Emily Hogan has played an integral role over this four-year sample size, helping the Blue Devils to some of the most impressive performances in program history, including an impressive match in the NCAA Tournament last year.

Hogan played in all 21 of her rookie season games, but was already feeling welcome at Central thanks to the strong camaraderie on the team.

“Even during the recruiting process,” Hogan said the team agrees that they all “wanted to go to a team where we’re gonna be best friends, both on and off the field.”

Now in her fourth year at CCSU, Hogan does “basically everything” with her teammates, something she believes helps the team on the field as well.

Hogan excelled for the Blue Devils as she progressed, and was a huge part of last year’s defense that shutdown teams in 11 games. For her contributions, she was named First Team All-Conference. Hogan’s great play in her junior season helped win the program its’ ninth NEC Championship in 2018, something Hogan is adamant on doing again in her final campaign.

“For senior year, we’re obviously trying to finish out on a high note,” Hogan said. “We haven’t started  exactly how we want it to go, but we’re hoping for the best trying to get another ring.”

The Blue Devils may not be finding the same success as last year’s team, but the recipe to follow is a near impossible one as CCSU only lost one game until the postseason and finished the season on a double-digit win streak.

Still, a long road stint in CCSU’s season left them with a 4-4-4 record as they start their home stretch.

A home field advantage has been obvious for the Blue Devils this year, who have a 3-0-1 record on their home turf. While the Blue Devils come out just as strong on the road, even Hogan admits it’s nice to have fans rooting for you instead of against you.

“[Playing at home] helps so much,” Hogan said, detailing the “sense of comfort and an extra boost of confidence” the team gets “knowing that everyone in the stands is typically on your side.”

As for the away crowds?

Hogan laughed and said “in the past, some of the teams we’ve played had some fans that didn’t love us, so it’s nice to be home again.”

The senior got a season high in goals for her career at CCSU all in one game. When the Blue Devils shutout St. Francis Brooklyn on Sunday, Hogan scored two of Central Connecticut’s four goals.

The career game came as no surprise for head coach Mick D’Arcy, who had nothing but praise for the senior “jack knife” of CCSU soccer.

“Emily is an incredibly diverse player,” D’Arcy said. “She’s played a couple of years for us as a midfielder then as defender, so we knew that she was capable of doing what we saw today, but it’s great to see. She deserves it for everything she’s given us.”