'Hard work pays off': Allie Post has breakout season for Rutgers women's soccer
Before this season, junior midfielder Allie Post had only started eight games in her collegiate career on the Rutgers women's soccer team.
This year, though, she has burst onto the scene. Post has appeared in 18 games and made 15 starts, becoming one of the squad's top goal-scorers.
Post was a top prospect coming out of Governor Livingston High School. She was a 2021 ECNL national semi-finalist with PDA and a four-year first-team All-Conference selection with plenty more accolades to add to her name. She stayed in her home state after graduating, officially committing to becoming a part of the Scarlet Knights (11-3-4, 6-2-3) program.
When the season began, Post was not yet a full-time starter. Her first start this year came against Lehigh, where she scored the game's 2nd goal and recorded a win. Two games later, she ended up with a brace in a victory against NC State, tallying 2 more goals.
"I always say it's a process," she said regarding her new starting role. "I feel like I'm a perfect example of it. Freshman year, no starts. Last year, I got a couple, and then this year, I've been consistently starting. So, it definitely shows that your hard work pays off."
Post has recorded 4 goals for Rutgers, all in the span of 5 games. She's become a key offensive player entrusted by her teammates and head coach Mike O'Neill.
"He never gave up on me," Post said. "Just knowing that he believes in me gives me the confidence to go out every day and perform. As opposed to other years when I was an underclassman, I feel like it was a little bit harder for me to have that confidence, which is why I was less consistent. So I think that just remembering that all the coaching staff and every single girl on my team, too, believes in me gives me confidence to just play."
The Knights' front line, consisting of senior forward Riley Tiernan, sophomore forward Ashley Baran and Post, has been dominant this season, with a combined 13 goals.
"It's a lot of fun," Post said in regards to playing alongside them. "I know for myself if I'm not scoring I know someone else is. I know they can all say the same. On any given day, any one of us can step up and be the one to put it in the back of the net."
Before this season, Post was not always the attacker she is now. She was predominantly a midfielder. Post and Rutgers went on a tear in the middle of the season, winning seven straight games with 14 goals and 0 goals conceded. The form dipped, though, when the Knights found themselves in a two-game drought in mid-October without any goals, getting scored on 4 times between the two matches.
"I think, honestly, we hit that bump at the perfect time," she said, "You kind of don't want to go into the postseason having not lost a game, so I think it's good that we were able to experience that and then overcome it and now be back on track."
Post and the rest of Rutgers' squad are looking to advance further into the Big Ten Tournament. Following a 2-1 overtime victory against Michigan State, the Knights will take on USC in the semifinals on Thursday.
"The expectation is always to win, so I'd say that's the main goal," Post said.
For more updates on the Rutgers women's soccer team, follow @TargumSports on X.
To view more of Jonathan Vasquez's work, follow @VazSpeaksSports on X.
