Oakton Grads Earn All-CAC Honors in Soccer

Karen Strat and Erin Reynolds grew up five minutes away from each other in Oakton, played varsity soccer together for two years at Oakton High School and now hold spots on the University of Mary Washington roster.

Last winter, Strat and Reynolds had the same ankle injury that required surgery, helped the other one through rehabilitation, and went through this fall's season having their ankles taped up before practice and iced down after practice side by side.

Now the self-labeled "ankle buddies" share the distinction of being named to the 2011 All-Capital Athletic Conference's second team. Strat, a senior defender, earned first team honors in 2009.

Strat said Reynolds, a sophomore forward, had an impressive season despite fighting both her ankle injury and a quad injury.

"Once that girl is healthy, she's going to be a powerhouse and a force to be reckoned with," Strat said.

Both Oakton natives had similar paths toward collegiate soccer. They both started around age 4, following in the footsteps of older siblings. And both had a period during their preteen years where they became less serious about the sport — Strat almost quit altogether in the eighth grade — before eventually deciding to follow their passion through college.

"I can't imagine not playing soccer now," Strat said.

Strat and Reynolds complimented their team both for helping them with their success this season and for their camaraderie.

"Having best friends on and off the field makes a big difference," Strat said.

Reynolds cited the team aspect of the sport as the main reason she loves it.

"It's nice to play a sport where you rely on others as much as they rely on you," said Reynolds, who also said she'd rather have an assist than a goal. She led the team in assists with six, and notched the second-highest number of goals with eight.

Reynolds praised Strat, the team's lone captain, for her leadership on the field: "She's a defender so she can see the entire field and she is very direct about where to go. She's all around a very smart player."

And Strat returned the compliment: "She's a hard worker, great player and a great teammate. She's a fun girl, always happy, which is great to have in a teammate."

With Strat's collegiate soccer life winding down, she's looking forward to playing in an intramural league this spring and adult leagues beyond college. As for academics, she's planning to pursue a master's degree in exercise physiology.

Reynolds has two seasons left with Mary Washington, and plans to take advantage of every moment. But she's also looking forward to a life in soccer beyond college, hoping to not only play in adult leagues but offer up her services as an assistant coach as a side job to her career as an elementary school teacher.

"I just want to keep playing because it's what I love to do," Reynolds said.