By Adam Levine
Sports Editor
Megan McAuliffe
Megan “Moo” McAuliffe, 21, is the starting left back for the FSU women’s soccer team.
McAuliffe, an elementary education major with minors in psychology and sociology, is a member of the Rams’ Class of 2025.
She said she wants to be a second-grade teacher after graduating. “School has always been my favorite thing in the entire world.
“I want [students] to fall in love with learning the way that I did,” McAuliffe added.
Originally from Haverhill, McAuliffe said she did not always play soccer growing up. “In elementary school, I decided that it might not be my favorite thing.”
McAuliffe said she picked up gymnastics, but was not good and she “did miss soccer a lot.”
McAuliffe said she chose between playing soccer or volleyball. “When it came to high school I had to pick and it was the most stressful thing that 15-year-old me ever had to think about.
“I don’t regret it,” she added.
McAuliffe said she heard about the University from a high school English teacher wearing an FSU crew neck and she did some research in her history class.
She said, “My history teacher was like, 'What are you doing?’ And I was like, ‘I'm just looking at Framingham State’ and he's like, ‘It's actually a good choice. Keep going.’”
McAuliffe said FSU “is exactly what I wanted.”
She said, “It's just such a great feeling to be like, ‘Oh, sorry, I can't, I have soccer practice.’
“It's just something I always grew up saying and I don't want to ever stop saying it,” McAuliffe added.
Jetta Oskirko
Jetta Oskirko, 21, is the starting goalkeeper for the FSU women’s soccer team.
Oskirko said she began playing soccer when she was 4 or 5 years old, but started playing goalie when she was 8 or 9.
She said, “I love being goalie. That's never changed.”
Oskirko, a mathematics major with a minor in statistics, is a member of the Rams’ Class of 2024. She said she wants to do statistics for a sports team after graduation.
Oskirko said she came to FSU because of Head Coach Kristina Kern. “She was really fighting for me for sure, so I think she was definitely my biggest influence.”
She said her favorite part about FSU is the people. “I've never been anywhere where there's a huge group of people that have been so kind and accepting.”
Oskirko said she has been inspired by now-retired American goalkeeper Hope Solo.
Solo is commonly viewed as one of women’s soccer’s all-time greatest goalkeepers and is a large promoter of women’s soccer off the field.
Oskirko said, “For anyone that is coming into college, second guessing playing a sport, I say ‘1,000% go for it.’”
She said her favorite memory playing soccer at FSU was saving two out of the four penalty kicks against Salem State in the 2021 MASCAC Tournament Quarterfinals, securing her team the victory.
Oskirko said, “I think that's probably the best game I've had here. That was a great memory.
“Hopefully I'll make an even better one this year,” she added.
Victoria Potter
Victoria “Tori” Potter, 20, is a starting center back for the FSU women’s soccer team.
Originally from Rutland, Potter, an elementary education major, is a member of the Rams’ Class of 2025.
She said she wants to be a second-grade teacher. “I just want to be able to help students that have a harder time in the classroom like I did when I was younger.”
Potter said she began playing soccer at 5 years old. “Like I say, ‘so many kids start playing soccer so young, but not everyone sticks with that.’”
Potter said she chose Framingham because she “felt like it was the perfect, perfect spot for me.”
She said, “I knew I wanted to have the opportunity of being able to play soccer, but also focus on my education, and Framingham was able to offer that.”
Potter said her favorite part of being on the team is the “great atmosphere that keeps girls coming back and wanting to keep playing.”
She said her favorite memory on the team was a yoga practice her freshman year. “We were just doing all sorts of crazy yoga.
“Overall, preseason has to be my favorite time of soccer season every year just because the team gets the opportunity to get super close with each other,” Potter added.
She said she has always been inspired by watching girls older than she is “grow into these amazing soccer players.”
Potter said, “Having strong female coaches in my life has helped me develop with the sense of who I want to be as an adult.”