Race to continue career at Evangel
■ She has scored 16 goals with 14 assists for her career.
Madi Race started playing soccer when she was 4 years old, and like many who start so early, she recently felt like she was approaching a burn out.
“I just didn’t even know if this is what I wanted to do anymore,” she said, “because I’ve played soccer my entire life.”
Some time away from the game and work with a club soccer coach helped Race re-discover her love for the game, she said.
“It was rough a little bit, but then I fell back in love with the sport,” she said.
Race, a senior at Siloam Springs High School, signed a letter of intent Wednesday to continue her soccer career at Evangel (Mo.) in Springfield, Mo.
Race said Arkansas Comets coach Felicia Pfluger, who was present at Wednesday’s signing along with Evangel head coach Bruce Deaton, helped her mindset back where it needs to be.
“(Pfluger) was like, ‘Hey come train with me,’” Race said. “I trained with her five times a week. Honestly she’s gotten me to where I am today. She’s helped me improve everything about soccer. She’s helped me love the sport again, which is really good.”
Race is entering her fourth season on the Siloam Springs varsity team.
As a freshman in 2018, she was an all-conference selection and helped the Lady Panthers win their fifth straight state championship. She had one goal and five assists as a freshman.
As a sophomore in 2019, the Lady Panthers moved Race into the attack and she responded with 13 goals and eight assists and allconference honors along with being named the team’s offensive player of the year.
In a covid-19 shortened 2020 season, Race had two goals and one assist.
“It was really hard not being able to have a season my junior year because your junior year is your year to go out and show what you have,” she said. “When it got cut short it was really, really hard on me.”
Overall she has 16 career goals and 14 assists.
“Madi has grown so much,” said Siloam Springs coach Abby Ray. “As a freshman we played her at outside back just because of her athleticism. Then her sophomore year I started playing her up top. That’s when she put in a lot of goals for us. What sets Madi apart is her work ethic. She’s maybe not necessarily the most naturally talented player there is, but she will outwork everybody to be the first to the ball. Where she is now, it’s her work ethic that’s putting her in a position to play in college.”
Race is now looking forward to the 2021 season at Siloam Springs. Ray said the Lady Panthers will play her either on the wing or up top at forward.
“My high school team is amazing,” she said. “I love every single one of those girls.”