She is the last person you need to get through to score.
The commander of the defense.
Her goal is to stop yours.
These are the attributes of Rowan women’s soccer goalkeeper Shelby Money.
A senior and team captain, Money has had nothing short of a strong impact on the team since her freshman year and her stats prove it.
In her career, Money tallied 44 wins, six losses and seven ties in her time spent on the field. Only conceding 24 goals.
“Overall, I’ve absolutely loved it,” Money said. “When I came in as a freshman I was scared of all the seniors and juniors but the more I got to know them, the more comfortable I felt around them. I’ve developed relationships with them on and off the field. I also liked training outside with them and I learned new things like how to grow as a person on and off the field.”
The nature of competition and welcoming of sport culture had nowhere to hide within her family, making a competitive upbringing natural to Money.
“I grew up in a sports family,” Money said. “I had a grandfather who played for the Phillies and everyone in my family plays some sort of sport.”
Money’s grandfather, Don Money, was a four-time All-Star during his time with the Milwaukee Brewers from 1973-1983.
The accomplished senior began her soccer career as a defender playing for a local team in Vineland. One day during shooting drills, Money showcased her talent in net and was told by her coach that she would become a goalkeeper for her team. Eventually, Money moved up to Glassboro Elite and played for her age group and the one above her. She also revealed that during her time before college she would train with boys teams to get better at goalkeeping.
“I grew up as a tomboy because there were more boys in my family back then,” Money said. “So, I was always aggressive and I always did everything that guys wanted to do.”
Her time with the soccer team hasn’t just been about the game, but the bond and relationships she’s built with the players and others involved with the team.
“We’re all one big family, we lookout for each other,” Money said. “I love everyone on the team and I see them all as family. I just want to be there for them in any situation. Whether its soccer, school, or something outside of that. I just want them to know that they can come to me.”
After college Money plans to keep playing soccer, despite where she ends up.
“Whether I stay here or try to find somewhere over seas I know its going to be a difficult road for me with me being in a division III school compared to a division I school,” Money said. “I know there’s not a lot of teams in the US, there’s none right now and they only roster two goalkeepers. So it’s going to be hard.”
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