Q&A: Lehigh scorers discuss mindset behind their offensive roles

Junior volleyball outside hitter Alysia Fingall, senior men’s soccer forward Beckett Wenger, sophomore women’s soccer striker Esther Brossard and sophomore field hockey forward Jordyn Pepper spoke with The Brown and White about the mindset that drives Lehigh’s offensive players and how the pressure to score impacts their play. 

Q: How does being in a position where your main value is judged by scoring form your identity as an athlete?

Alysia Fingall:  As an outside hitter, there are definitely a lot of responsibilities I have for my own position every game. Outsides are looked to as top scorers, so I know my main value comes from scoring. It’s something I’ve grown into over time. I think it’s half ability and half mentality. If you know you’re good and have the skills, it all just comes naturally.

Beckett Wenger:  Everyone looks to you to be the one to score those important goals. In big pressure moments, it can help you. Stay true to yourself and execute it to the best of your ability. I think that can be applied to all aspects of life. 

Esther Brossard: We definitely feel the pressure. You are the player responsible for scoring and creating offensive actions for your team. I love playing as a striker because I know I can make the difference in a game and help my team win. My motivation comes from knowing I can have an impact and lead my teammates to the win.

Jordyn Pepper: I think being a forward makes me more aggressive in everything I do. It does shape how I play as an athlete — always looking for the next scoring chance. Overall, I just play with more aggression all around.

Q: What runs through your mind in the split-second before making a big play — is it instinct or calculation? 

AF: Especially in the past, it’s been more calculated, but recently my coach has pushed me to change my mindset. He’s big on just getting up there and taking a rip. He doesn’t care about the outcome, as long as you’re going all in and being aggressive. In those moments, it’s really about thinking less and just getting it done.

BW: For me, it’s absolutely instinct. My body just reacts to the play going on. Training helps you build those instincts and prepare, but I don’t really take too much time to think about the play I’m going to make at that moment. 

EB: When I strike the ball, it is about instinct built through practice. In fact, when I train, I do a lot of repetitions of my shots to work on my precision and the strength of my strikes. Before I get the ball, I always analyze the position of the goal, my own position on the field, where my teammates are and how the goalkeeper and the opposing defenders are placed on the field. I analyze the play before receiving the ball, so when I get it I have the information to be able to strike the ball well. 

JP: It’s a little bit of instinct and calculation. I definitely pre-scan before I make any move with the ball, whether that’s a shooting or a pass. I just want to make sure I’m in the best position or setting up my teammate for the best position to score. As forwards, we practice so hard to be ready to make these split-second decisions. 

Q: Is there ever tension between personal glory and the collective success of the team?

AF: At the end of the day, it comes down to values. I’m never on the court just playing for myself. Even if I’m having a rough game or the ball goes to someone else on match point, I know it’s for the betterment of the team. For me, it’s been about shifting from personal satisfaction to a team-first mindset. Volleyball moves so fast, you only get a few seconds between points, so I try to flush the bad and move on. 

BW:  In the last few years, the team culture of men’s soccer has changed. We have definitely put our personal glory to the side, and we started becoming one whole team, focusing on that side of success. 

EB: Strikers in soccer are recognized to be a little bit more selfish than other positions. Our role is to score to make our team win, and that can create tension at times. However, my job is not just about goals — it is about making sure the team wins. Collective wins matter more than personal statistics. If I am not in the best position to shoot and a teammate has the better chance, I will pass for the assist. Whether it is scoring or setting someone else up, my role is to do whatever it takes to help my team succeed.

JP: I don’t think there’s ever any tension, especially with our team. It can be hard looking at the stat sheet and not having the outcomes, but just setting up teammates for success to get them in goal scoring opportunities is most important. You can’t be selfish if you want to consistently win.

Q: What do you do to reset your mind after a missed opportunity when the next one might come seconds later?

AF: You have to trust the people around you. Trust your starter, trust yourself to get the job done, but at the same time, you have to be smart with it. You can’t just throw everything out the window when you’re in a high-pressure situation. Keeping yourself calm in pressure moments, but still having aggression. It’s more about trusting yourself and knowing that you can kill this ball.

BW: There’s a soccer show called “Ted Lasso,” The coach on that show always says to be a goldfish —  have a short memory, forget about your mistakes and move on. You can’t change the past, you have to be ready for the future. 

EB: It is all about mental resilience and being able to focus on the next action. It can be frustrating when you miss a shot or if the goalkeeper makes a great save. But you know what? There is still time to make a difference in the game. Continue to try, continue to shoot and the more opportunities you create, the greater your chances of winning.

JP: I like to have the mindset of a goldfish, where you have a three-second memory. If that’s doing something bad, just resetting and forgetting about it, or if it is doing something good, not dwelling on that and trying to get more opportunities for the team.