Laurie Nosbusch

Laurie Nosbusch captained her FC Milwaukee youth team (coached by Christian Lavers) to a remarkable series of national accomplishments during her high school years.  During the team’s U16 – U18 seasons, the team proved itself as consistently one of the top 10 teams in the country by winning the USYS Midwest Regional League once and finishing second once, qualifying for 2 USYS Region II Midwest Championship Finals (where they dropped both heartbreaking games in overtime), and qualifying for both the Disney Showcase –Showcase Division Finals and the San Diego Surf Cup Finals (losing in overtime again).

Personally, Laurie earned call-ups to the U18 and U20 US Soccer Youth National Teams in 2002 and 2003, prior to moving on to the University of Wisconsin to play college soccer.  At Wisconsin, her achievements continued to pile up over an incredible career:

  • 2012 Big Ten Medal of Honor Winner
  • 4 Time Offensive MVP – UW Badgers (2008, 2009, 2010, 2011)
  • 3 Time Leading Scorer – UW Badgers (2008, 2009, 2010) 
  • 6-Time Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week
  • Academic All-Big Ten (2009, 2010, 2011)
  • First Team All-Big Ten (2010)
  • Second Team All-Big Ten (2009)
  • Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2008)
  • Team Captain (2010, 2011)

Laurie finished her college career on most of the all-time record lists for Badger soccer players: 5th all-time in goals, 6th all-time in assists, 5th all-time in career points, and 9th all-time in games started.  In 2010, she also led the FC Milwaukee WPSL team (coached by Christian Lavers and Monica White) to the WPSL National Final Four while earning WPSL All-Midwest First Team honors.

Laurie took the time to come out and work with the FC Wisconsin Eclipse teams last week, and afterwards to provide some thoughts on her time as a youth and collegiate soccer player.

How did you pick the University of Wisconsin – Madison as the place you wanted to go to school and play college soccer?

"I chose the University of Wisconsin-Madison because it has the perfect balance of academic and athletic excellence, and I wanted to be challenged in the classroom and on the field. I absolutely love the school spirit at UW, and I wanted the opportunity to represent the University as a Badger soccer player."

How did the training and competition you had as a youth player help prepare you for collegiate success?

"Constantly training with committed teammates in a competitive practice environment, receiving honest feedback from coaches, andplaying games against the best teams in the country prepared me physically and mentally for college soccer.  I believe I entered preseason my first year better prepared for the level of competition than most freshmen because of my youth coaches and teammates.  I entered each subsequent preseason physically fit and technically sharp thanks to an excellent summer WPSL team."

What are your favorite memories of playing in college?

"My favorite memory is advancing to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament as a sophomore. We advanced after winning a shoot-out on Friday night and winning 1-0 in regulation on Sunday afternoon. Both games were on our home field in Madison, and the fans created a fun environment to play in."

What are your favorite memories of playing youth soccer?

"My favorite memories of club soccer came from playing with basically all the same teammates for almost eight years. I absolutely loved the special team culture that we created by spending so much time working hard together to achieve our goals."  

How do you think your soccer career (youth and college) helped you most?

"Playing soccer instilled in me an appreciation for teamwork, hard work, and determination.  Also, years as a team captain helped me cultivate strong leadership skills.  These values and skills have helped me succeed in school and in everyday life."

What is the best piece of advice you wish someone had given you while you were a youth soccer player?

"Take advantage of every chance you have to improve because even seemingly insignificant drills, practices, and games add up and make a difference in the end.  The best players and teams are the ones that work every day to get better." 

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