Donaldson leads team with experience
Sports are practically full-time jobs for Trojan athletes, but even for some of the most focused players in the Pac-12, like Natalie Donaldson, having a hobby is a way to get some reprieve.
The midfielder/forward often uses her passion for horses as a way to clear her mind.
“I barrel race,” she said. “It’s my passion. I really enjoy it. I think it’s really important to have something on the side that allows you to clear your mind, so horseback riding is a huge thing for me because I don’t think about anything when I’m out there.”
When she’s playing for the Women of Troy, however, Donaldson shifts into full force and focus. As a third-year veteran of the women’s soccer team, Donaldson has contributed to every position on the field, starting as a defensive player and working her way to midfield and forward positions.
“I think that I’m kind of home in the defense because I started out defense,” Donaldson said.
While reserve players shined against Riverside, every player in this year’s roster has a lot to prove on the field, including Donaldson.
According to Rachel Caton, USC’s assistant sports information director, head coach Keidane McAlpine projects Donaldson to play the most minutes on the field out of all the players this year.
This may not come as a surprise to someone like Donaldson. The No. 17 senior started playing soccer as early as three years old and then went on to play for the American Youth Soccer Organization and multiple clubs.
“I kind of threw everything else aside and put soccer first, and from there it was just all momentum,” Donaldson said.
Donaldson made her first collegiate soccer appearance at Auburn University, but later jumped at the opportunity to play for USC. Last year, she started in all 21 games for the Trojans and contributed in 19 games the year before that as a sophomore.
“I wanted to try something new, so I went to Auburn and figured out that’s not what I wanted, and I knew I wanted to be closer to home and closer to my friends and everything because that’s where I play the best. So I came here and felt at home immediately, ” she said.
Among other things that make Donaldson feel at home on the field is the mutual support she shares with her teammates.
“I look to almost every single player, even the new players,” Donaldson said. “If they tell me to do something, I’ll try it out. It’s a really great dynamic on the team.”
This year’s Women of Troy have already begun to improve to the tune of their “One Moment, One Now.”
“Every single person on the team knows their role and is willing to play any role on the team to contribute to our success,” Donaldson said. “I think everyone truly believes that this year. It’s not just a saying. Everyone actually believes it.”
Yet, Donaldson still recognizes areas for individual improvement in the coming games. Among her areas of improvement are getting more into the defensive mind, timing runs and strengthening contact with the offense and the defense.
“When to go forward, when to hold back a little bit more and I think it’s just getting our feet wet right now,” Donaldson said. “I think a lot is going to change.”
Next up for the Women of Troy is Washington State on Thursday and Washington on Sunday.
“I think it’s our mentality in the final third. It’s just getting it done,” Donaldson said. “The process we have down. We know what we need to do. We’re good at it. We just need to finalize it.”
Even as Donaldson approaches the end of her collegiate career, she has high hopes to continue her passion in whatever ways she can.
“I want to keep my options open. I would love to play soccer professionally, but we’ll just see what kind of opportunities present themselves,” she said.