Olivia Thomas scored the game-winning goal in Carolina Soccer’s 2024 national championship game. Read her first-hand account on being a game-changer, what last season meant for her, and her thoughts on what makes Carolina the greatest program in collegiate soccer.

Before I kicked, I remember my mind going blank. A few of my teammates had surrounded me and they gave me words of encouragement, but I couldn’t recount those words today. The only words I remember are me telling Trinity Armstrong that I was going back post and her telling me that she’d be there ready to get anything on it. I remember taking a deep breath and locking in on the back post. I looked up only once and then all of my thoughts and intentions were set on the ball in front of me. I had practiced this free kick frequently after practices and knew that I could hit this. Damon had advised me to create a routine for my free kicks in order to help with my consistency. I began my routine, I breathed in, took six steps back from the ball, lifted on my toes, and took my stride toward the ball.

During the championship game, I sang a song called “2 You” by Mariah the Scientist to help me work through the exhaustion that was beginning to tear at me. I remember Damon subbing me off to give me a small break right after my finish and when I got to the bench, I started singing to my teammate one of the lyrics, “Look at what we made … ” It was such a lighthearted moment in such a deafening atmosphere. My teammate references that moment to me still months after the win.

That was an amazing end to a season that was a turning point. That national championship win solidified the start of a new legacy under Coach Damon’s leadership. It quite literally meant everything. For me personally, it was a season that taught me crucial lessons. My season was nothing close to perfect, but I think that is what made it as impactful as it was.

Having to battle injury, juggle the increasing rigor of coursework, and deal with the common stressors of life itself, this season proved to me that with hard work and faith I could overcome anything sent my way. For our team, the national championship created something tangible symbolizing all the resilience and grit that went into the season we had.

In the spring of 2024, we had 12 players. We had to bring in players from the men’s club team to practice with us. For our spring games, we had to play 8v8 matches because we didn’t have the numbers necessary to play 11v11. From that spring alone, no one would have thought that we would have the run that we did. Even our team had doubts in moments, but we always kept faith because at the end of the day we are Carolina Soccer. There is not a single team that does not play their best game against us, and we knew what was coming in the fall. We talked a lot about controlling the controllables. You can always control your effort and attitude.

Not allowing others to influence that was key to our success. Blocking out the noise was hard at the start, but it ultimately rolled off of each of our shoulders. This season proved that hard work can overcome barriers. There was not a single person who didn’t show up for each practice ready to go. It was really a hive mentality; we wanted to get better every day. Even when we lost matches, Damon would say there were still wins in each of those. New lessons were learned, and because of those lessons, each team member was able to implement those lessons in their game. I think that is part of the reason we were so successful.

I wouldn’t change a single thing about my time at Carolina because it has shaped who I am now. My friends and I will joke that I have lived a hundred lives since the fall of my freshman year, but it’s honestly not a joke at all. I have matured in a multitude of ways – facing issues and tackling problems. Even with all of the lessons I have learned, I continue to learn every single day.

Whether that is in practice or in school. I don’t think there was a single day when someone didn’t check in on me to see how I was doing while battling injuries. That is a key part of what makes the Carolina experience so great – the people you meet, who surround you with everlasting support and who build each other up and fight for each other every single day.

We are part of the legacy of Carolina Soccer.