SAUGATUCK – Neave Rewa sets a record nearly every time she steps on the pitch.
The Saugatuck soccer senior broke the school record for career goals last year and it grows every time the ball hits the back of the net.
“The biggest thing is she is so determined to achieve what she wants to achieve. When she loses a ball, her whole body changes and you know she is going to get it back,” Saugatuck coach Neal Phillips said. “This had to be tough on her to switch coaches and systems as a senior and she is still thriving.”
Rewa said part of that stems from learning from older players in the program that has become one of the best small-school programs in West Michigan.
“I have always had a lot of strong people to look up to. Seeing that has helped me step into that role that I have observed for so long. We have come from separate players to coming together, and with a new coach, too,” she said.
Rewa, also a skiing state champion, has 15 goals this season in the new system as opposing teams surround her with three defenders at times. She scored 58 goals through her first three seasons and sits at 73 – a stunning 31 goals ahead of the next on Saugatuck’s all-time list.
That experience will help her at the next step when she joins Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
“When I was searching for schools, I wanted to stay in the Midwest but get a little distance from home. It stuck out because they have won a lot of team ethic awards,” Rewa said. “The school has a pretty good science program and I loved all the coaches and players and it felt like the right next step.”
It is a step Rewa has been dreaming of for years.
“It is pretty incredible,” she said. “I have played for almost my entire life. To have that comet together for four more years is really exciting.”
Contact sports editor Dan D’Addona at Dan.D’Addona@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter @DanDAddona or Facebook @HollandSentinelSports.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Saugatuck’s Neave Rewa keeps record-breaking soccer career going