Former Cougar Hanavan goes out a winner

Not many collegiate athletes can say they are the top player in their division.

Former Western Nebraska Community College women’s soccer player Kylee Hanavan can lay claim to that title after being selected the Division II national player of the year, Daktronics Midwest Region player of the year and the RMAC Player of the year. She was also an 8-time RMAC player of the week during her 3-year career.

Hanavan, who played for the Cougar women’s soccer program in 2003, finished her collegiate career as the top Division II women’s soccer player in the nation after leading Metro State University to the national title with a 1-0 win over Grand Valley State 1-0. It was the second national championship Hanavan and Metro State has won in the past three years.

“This year’s national championship was something we seniors had talked about and wanted all year long,” Hanavan said. “We were such a young team not knowing if we could accomplish a national championship, but as a senior I, and the whole team, was going to try our hardest to get there. When we actually won it, it was so unreal because it seemed impossible to get one let alone two. It is an indescribable feeling.”

The 5-foot-6 forward also set many Roadrunner records. She leaves Metro State as the all-time career leader in points (206), goals (80) and assists (46). This past season, she led the conference with 66 points, 23 goals and 20 assists. The 20 assists is a Metro State single-season assist record.

“I don’t think someone could have asked for more to have achieved so much,” she said. “I went in with the mentality to play as hard as I could as an individual and as a team and all the [honors] that come along don’t hurt. It is a great honor. I owe a lot to all who have made me a better player, especially Danny Sanchez (Metro State Head Coach).

“Individually, I have set goals, assists, game winning goals, and total points records, but I must say I could not have done it without my team and my coaching staff.”

Hanavan possessed those same soccer skills while at WNCC, where she scored 22 goals to help the Cougar women to a 19-1 record in its first year of competition. That Cougar team won 19 straight games and came within one win of making the national tournament.

In fact, her 22 goals stood as the most scored until this year when Bre Perkes broke the record with 26 goals this season.

“I remember what a great team we had, and I think Rick Carpenter and Tom Townsend pushed us to the limit which made us so great,” she said. “WNCC has taught me, no matter what you think might happen, to play to your full potential because in the end something great might happen.”

With all the accomplishments and accolades Hanavan has earned in her soccer playing days, she listed five that she will carry with her for years to come.

“Number one is winning two national championships and I think those are self explanatory,” she said. “It is the best because I had two of the best teams and teammates behind me in both victories.”

The rest of the Hanavan’s top five soccer moments include playing with her sister, Megan, two different times because “I look up to her and think she has made me as strong and dedicated as I am now.”

Three through five memories include WNCC and high school highlights. “Number three is force marking with Rick Carpenter at WNCC because you can really see how mean and aggressive girls can get. Plus we loved just taking people out and that gave us the chance,” she said. “Number four was in my first high school soccer game and we got to run out when our names were called and half way to the middle of the field, I fell straight on my butt in front of everyone. This is in my top five because I think along the way people need to learn and know they can have fun.”

Number five, Hanavan said, is for all the doubters who thought she wasn’t talented. “In all my years of soccer, my fifth memory is being able to prove everyone wrong who had ever doubted or looked down upon me,” she said. “I can say I have made something of myself and my high school and two college programs I have played for.”

From what Hanavan has all accomplished in her many years of playing soccer, younger girls now have someone to look up to. She said that attending a junior college first was probably the best thing that she ever did.

“I think in order to be successful, especially in a sport like soccer, you have to be willing to give your heart out to the program,” she said. “That is what I have done for both programs and I would not change anything for the world. Some people say junior college is not a place to go, but I think it is a place to start and grow as an individual until something else great comes along.”