Athletics

(1) Melissa and Rebecca pose for a TU soccer photoshoot. (2) Melissa, left, and Rebecca.

Soccer

Sister Act

The TU women’s soccer team was locked in a scoreless draw just before halftime of its August game against rival UMBC when senior Rebecca Groseibl chipped a shot from 35 yards out that found the back of net. As her teammates celebrated, one was just a bit more elated than the others.  

Before the season started, Rebecca’s sister Melissa joined the program. The move reunited the sisters, who are more than siblings and teammates.

“Melissa and I have been best friends and as close as can be for as long as I can remember,” Rebecca says. “It’s been awesome having her here with me.”

The women, who have two other sisters and a brother, grew up in New Jersey. They started playing soccer as kids and found that they had an aptitude for it, so they stuck with it. Rebecca, 22, originally played at Boston College before transferring to TU, where she is majoring in mass communication. After a back injury derailed her career at Canisius, Melissa, 20, joined her.  

“I came to their game when they won the [CAA] championship last year, and I felt like if I could be a part of something that exciting, that would be a dream of mine,” says Melissa, also a mass communication major. “When my sister and I were younger, we talked about how cool it would be if we could play college soccer together. That opportunity presented itself, and I was like, ‘Towson is where I want to be.’”

Rebecca has been a key contributor for the past three seasons. Last year she totaled a career-high four assists in helping the Tigers win the CAA and make it to the NCAA Tournament.  

“We came in early as a team in the summer to do extra workouts and really put in the work, so it was great to see the season unfold the way we wanted it to,” she says.

While Melissa has played sparingly this season, the sisters are important components of the team, head coach Katherine Vettori says.

“Both are composed with the ball at their feet. They are technically clean and have high soccer IQs. They are excellent teammates to have with this group.”

This season has been a storybook reunion for Rebecca and Melissa, even if they do butt heads occasionally.  

“If we’re spending too much time together, we [might argue] over where to get coffee: Dunkin or Starbucks,” Melissa says, laughing. “But we get each other so well. Nobody can read me like my sister.” 

Tags: Athletics

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