Theresa Diederich Caps Off Summer with National Title
7/31/2012 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
July 31, 2012
TUSCALOOSA, Ala.- After a knee injury cost Alabama sophomore Theresa Diederich(Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) her true freshman season, the Florida native has continued to bounce back, as her club team, CCSC Sol (Fla.), won their first ever national title, winning the Under-19 Girls Championship at the 2012 US Youth Soccer National Championships, held in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Diederich missed her entire freshman season, but bounced back in 2011 as a redshirt freshman to garner SEC All-Freshman team honors and lead the Crimson Tide to its first NCAA tournament berth since 1998. Diederich led Alabama with 15 points, on a team-high seven goals and an assist, and made all four of her penalty kick attempts.
"For a long time I have struggled to try and get back to where I was before I got injured," Diederich said. "Now, I feel as if I am finally back and ready to continue to improve."
Playing as a center midfielder and forward, Diederich led the Sol with two goals in regulation pool play at the Championships, and scored another goal on a penalty kick in overtime in the championship game, which was won in a penalty kick shootout.
For her efforts she was named to the tournament's Elite 11 team, awarded to the top players in the national championship tournament.
"We had been to the finals three years ago and lost, so we did not want to have that same feeling again," Diederich said. "Being together for 10 years and ending our last season together with a win was meant to be."
Diederich returns to the Capstone ready to lead an experienced Crimson Tide team that looks to improve on last season's NCAA tournament appearance. Alabama returns eight starters and 14 letterwinners in 2012.
Alabama begins training camp tomorrow and unofficially starts its season on August 11, with an exhibition match at Clemson. The Tide will officially kick off regular season play on August 17, at Kennesaw State.
