Following a successful high school career which saw her earn 28 shutouts and get named in the United Soccer Coaches High School All-American team, now sophomore goalkeeper Lexie Thompson committed to UB in 2023.
The Levittown, New York native played seven games of her rookie season, losing only one of those and recording 16 saves. But just after the first game of Mid-American Conference (MAC) play, she faced an injury that would force her to miss out on the rest of her first year as a Bull.
“Being out last season was hard mentally,” Thompson said. “Coming back into the swing of things in the spring was really difficult.”
Despite the challenge, she has emerged stronger than ever with the help of her teammates and coaches.
“We had to come up with a mantra for ourselves,” she explained. “For me, it was ‘comeback season.’ I just wanted to fully embrace that in all aspects. Give it everything I had, and put myself out there.”
And her form since returning to the field this season has been nothing short of spectacular.
Thompson has re-established herself as the starting goalie, playing a crucial role in the Bulls’ recent success. Her performances while between the goalposts have not only contributed to vital wins and the team’s first national ranking in history, but has also put her on the national spotlight. She is currently in the top-10 in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) rankings for save percentage and top-15 for lowest goals-against average.
Thompson’s commitment to her motto has been evident throughout this season so far, starting every game and logging the full 90 minutes in each appearance. She earned MAC Defensive Player of the Week for her performance against Pittsburgh in week two of the season, where she recorded a career high of nine saves.
Her performances have also put her on track to potentially beat the program record for shutouts in a season.
She currently has seven shutouts, only six away from tying the record, with over a fourth of the regular season remaining and a playoff berth looking very possible for the Bulls. Her most recent shutout came in UB’s 3-0 win over Northern Illinois University this past Sunday, where she recorded eight saves.
Thompson making a save against NIU (photo courtesy of UB Athletics).
Although Thompson’s list of accomplishments is growing rapidly, she chooses to focus on what truly matters: the success of the team.
“I try not to look at all that,” Thompson said. “I just take it one game at a time, one save at a time — we like to win the day.”
She also credits the collective effort and dynamic of her teammates as a major part of her success.
“I have 10 other people out in front of me [on the field] and they put in all their work each week. I just do what I can behind them,” Thompson said.
Now that MAC play is fully underway for the women’s soccer team, Lexie Thompson has set her sights on what’s ahead for the remainder of the season.
“We want to get back to that tournament,” she said. “We got to get our redemption back for last season.”
Rodrigo Feijão is the senior sports editor and can be reached at rodrigo.feijao@ubspectrum.com
Photo: Ryan Hagen | UB Athletics
