As the University of New Mexico women’s soccer team celebrates its 25th anniversary this season, we are going to catch up with some UNM women’s soccer alums throughout the year – those student-athletes who helped pave the way to make this the program it is today.
In our third edition we talk with Shannon Adragna – who played for the Lobos from 2005-08. She is second all-time at UNM in goals against average (0.89), third in career shutouts (20) and fourth in goalkeeper wins (21).
– Where are you living and what are you up to?
I live in Albuquerque and work at Roadrunner Food Bank as the Manager of Development Data Analytics and Operations.
– How did attending UNM and being part of the soccer program set you up for success?
Being a student athlete has been one of the most indelibly important aspects of my life. It set me up with tools that I have used in my personal life, but most evidently in my professional life. Learning the art of multi-tasking, taking initiative, working in a group to accomplish a goal (pun intended), performing under pressure, and knowing when to be a leader and when to be a follower are just some of the many assets soccer has afforded me.
– What do you miss most about playing?
I miss Friday night games and I really, really miss three-team game, but I also miss having my friends close. There are very few UNM alums from my time that still live in Albuquerque. We keep in touch for the most part, but it would be great to see them soon, perhaps on a specific date like April 21, 2018 which also happens to be Alumni weekend. Hint, hint alums …
– Do you have a favorite memory (on or off the field) from your playing days?
I have a lot of fond memories from games – shutting out UCSD, beating UNLV in PKs during the semi’s of the tournament, or running on to the field without my gloves after being called in the 60th minute to play my first game because the 1st string goalkeeper got a red card (true story). Even then, I think my fondest memories were from the unstructured time we spent as a team. We all loved a good van ride or the obligatory pre-game dinner at Outback, it was always more about the company than it was the activity.
– The ever important question to anyone who has spent time in New Mexico: Red or Green?
Green. Always Green.