Hitting the back of the net is what soccer is all about.

Freshman Chanelle Crosby has done just that this season for the NIU women’s soccer team.

Crosby made her presence felt right from the start as she scored the game-winner in her first collegiate game and the first game of the season against Wright State.

“My goal coming in was to impact the team and do whatever I could to help,” Crosby said. “I was just really excited when I was given that opportunity.”

She has done just that with three goals and an assist. Crosby is second on the team with seven points despite only starting six of the 15 games this year.

NIU head coach Frank Horvat is not surprised by Chanelle’s play. He was impressed with her from the first recruiting visit.

“We expected good things out of her,” Horvat said. “We looked at Chanelle during the recruiting process and knew she’d be a good addition to this team.”

The freshman forward’s favorite aspect of soccer is the thrill of goal scoring.

“It’s just really exciting,” Crosby said. “You feel very special when you score a goal and you help your team even more to success.”

She models her game after Thierry Henry of the Arsenal in the English Premier League. Henry is one of the top goal scorers in the world and Crosby loves the way he plays with such finesse and scores goals with ease.

While playing right away is hard enough, Crosby has had to make the transition to adjusting to the Midwest as well.

The Colorado native decided to come to NIU feeling that there was a lot to experience away from the West Coast. Crosby’s decision to be a Huskie also was influenced by being closer to her grandparents from Wisconsin.

Crosby found adjusting to college here difficult at first.

“It was rough because everyone here goes home a lot,” Crosby said. “It also gets really cold here and that’s hard to get used to.”

The Huskies have Crosby’s mother to thank. She got Crosby’s soccer career rolling at the age of five. Crosby said that her mom thought she would like it because she always would flock toward the older kids playing soccer in the park.

As a forward, ball control is a must, and that suits Crosby just fine. Dribbling has been one of her favorite things to do since she was little.

She also focuses on being able to read the field – which could mean the difference between a goal and losing the ball.

“She really has a good sense for the game,” Horvat said. “She reads the game well and finds a way to get to some balls that you wouldn’t think anyone could get to. She adds a lot to the overall team.”

Crosby already has won over her teammates with her play.

“Chanelle works really hard and I think she shows a lot of potential for the later years, especially when they are looking for a new leader,” freshman Christie Ehrhardt said. “She definitely has the skills to become a dynamic player.”

As the season comes to a close Crosby is looking forward to making an even bigger impact next year.

“This year is more of a rebuilding year and hopefully next year we’ll be able to come out even bigger and better,” Crosby said.