Loran Wyrough breezes by an opponent during a game this season. (Photo by James Jones.)
During the fall of 2013, Loran Wyrough was loving and hating life all at once.
After Wyrough graduated from Hamilton West, she knew she would play soccer for Wilmington University but decided not to compete as a freshman in order to “get a step ahead academically and not to be overloaded by my first year in college with soccer and classes.”
By redshirting, she realized it would help her in the long run. But the short run? Ugh!
“I thought it was the worst thing possible,” Wyrough said. “But as each day passed I knew something good would come from me being redshirted. My dad (Walt) had a big play in helping me keep motivated throughout the season and offseason. I worked really hard every day in practice because that was the only chance I had, and I wanted to make my teammates better.”
During games, however, there was nothing to do with that nervous energy but fume.
“I think it was also really hard watching on the sideline,” she said. “Not being able to help the team out felt like torture to me.”
One year later, it was Wyrough who tortured Wildcat opponents. In her first season, she delivered nine goals and three assists for 21 points, which led Wilmington in scoring and was enough for sixth in the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference. She earned CACC Rookie of the Week and Co-Player of the Week one time each and was named second-team All-CACC.
This past autumn, Wyrough was named Player of the Week three times en route to being named first-team All-CACC. She again led the team with 17 goals and four assists for 38 points. In two seasons, 58 of her 91 shots have been on goal (64 percent).
Coach Jeff Zoyac feels Wyrough is able to score because she is prepared to score.
“She is the inch-perfect decision maker,” Zoyac said. “She is focused and ready the second her opportunity comes to score. She is speedy and has pace and outraces defenders for balls and crosses.”
That is only part of the repertoire, however. Once she gets possession, the diminutive Wyrough is a mini dynamo.
“She is a lethal finisher and squeezes through small spaces,” Zoyac said. “She out-dribbles defenders, slots balls past keepers. She is calm and cool under pressure and her aerial ability is her best attribute for being a 5-foot-5 forward.”
Wyrough won four varsity letters apiece in soccer and lacrosse at Hamilton. She was named to the Mercer 33 team as a junior and senior, which is no small feat, and was an All-State Top 20 pick as a senior.
With so much success, it’s understandable how sitting out in her first year of college would drive Wyrough nuts, but looking back she knows it was the right thing.
“I truly believe it helped shape me into the person I am today,” she said. “Being sidelined for a year showed me so much. It opened my eyes and showed me to not take soccer for granted, or really, anything in life for granted.”
Entering her redshirt freshman season, Wyrough worked harder than she ever had to prepare for the season. She ran every day and lifted three times a week.
“I didn’t want the competition we played to take me lightly and think they could just win the ball easily,” Wyrough said.
After enjoying a stellar freshman season, Wyrough could have figured college ball was pretty easy and she could just come back this year and dominate. That is not her way, however, as she worked even harder in the offseason to get ready.
She was driven by doubt—the doubts of others.
“I remember telling certain people my dream, and they laughed or doubted me and that’s what made me push harder,” Wyrough said. “Another difference would be my passion grew bigger for the game, which I didn’t think could happen. I didn’t want the season to end, I wanted to keep going, and I think that’s what pushed me in the off-season.”
Zoyac noted that Wyrough does more than just score. She comes down with the majority of 50-50 balls in the air to maintain possession for the Wildcats. The coach added that “she is instinctual, intelligent and makes the most out of any situation to score and leads her team on and off the field.”
During her sophomore campaign, Wyrough was the epitome of a streak scorer, as all of her 17 goals came in a 12-game span. Early in the year she had six goals in five games, and she finished the season scoring 11 goals in the final seven games.
“I think it was just how it worked out,” Wyrough said. “My teammates worked hard to get the ball in the final third, and I did whatever I could to put the ball in the back of the net. I give my goal scoring credit to my teammates. Honestly, if it wasn’t for their serves off the ball, I would not have been able to be much of a threat this year.”
That may be true, as no player can do it alone. But Zoyac is quick to point out that Wyrough can do more with those serves than some other players. He notes that she has a complete understanding for finding a cross into the box and finishing with a foot or head. She has scored in a variety of ways, be it counters, set pieces or just getting some garbage goals in front.
“Most of her game-winning goals have been with her head,” the coach said. “She is by far the engine of the team. She also improved on her technique and ability to be better in one v one situations moving forward.”
That’s not the only improvement made in the program this year. Zoyac, who coaches girls’ club soccer in New Jersey, took over the program this season after serving as an assistant for the men’s team. Wyrough admitted to being a little apprehensive as she felt the coach who recruited her, Josh Ruggiero, “truly cared about his players.”
But she entered this season with an open mind and now she could not be happier.
“Our new coach changed the whole culture of our team,” she said. “He truly has a passion for the game and loves winning. He’s my kind of coach. Our training sessions are never the same, and we’re always doing drills that help us better our game.”
Away from the field, Wyrough has delved into coaching as she is helping a U10 girls’ team in the Kirkwood (Del.) Soccer Club.
“They are awesome girls,” said Wyrough, a sports management major with hopes of being an athletic director. She doesn’t rule out coaching at a high level.
“I really would love to be able to coach and stay with the game for as long as possible,” she said.
Wyrough also wants to stay with the Wildcats for as long as she can, and plans on using her extra year of eligibility, rather than graduating in four years.
“I have thought about getting my master’s and graduating on time, but I’d rather not rush,” she said. “I’m really enjoying myself and having fun with soccer.”
A lot more fun than she had without soccer.
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