As Good as Gosse
Laura Gosse has not always been a goal scorer.
One of Central Michigan University soccer’s all-time best scoring threats started her soccer career at a position that is a polar opposite to the one she currently occupies.
Gosse, a forward, played as a sweeper defender for the Markham Lightning soccer club in her hometown of Markham, Ontario until she was 14 years old.
A year later, she made the move to the forward position and flourished in an attacking role.
“Attacking is an adrenaline rush,” Gosse said. “When you see the ball go out wide, you just get this urge to sprint forward because you want numbers in the box. You know that an opportunity is coming and you want to be there.”
Her coach and longtime mentor Richard Alexander molded Gosse, she said, by instilling a confidence in her that thrives to this day.
For Gosse, confidence has quickly turned to production.
It only took Gosse three college matches to get on the score sheet her freshman year.
During the rest of her career she has put the ball in the back of the net 19 times, good enough for sixth all-time in program history.
“Being in the top ten hasn’t really hit me yet,” Gosse said. “It will be cool to be remembered. To have that accolade to my name will be pretty cool because of how much I have enjoyed playing here.”
Not only has she scored plenty of goals, but she has scored them at the right time.
Possibly the biggest moment of Gosse’s career came during her sophomore season when she found the twine to tie the Chippewas with the University of Michigan in the NCAA tournament.
While Gosse might be best remembered for that goal, her maturation as a leader over the period of four years is what has been most remarkable about her time in Mount Pleasant said current head coach Peter McGahey.
“It has been really quiet special,” McGahey said. “After the 18-month calendar the team has been through, she’s really risen to the occasion to support her teammates. She was able to keep a good mood on the team. “
CMU’s leading goal scorer this year is also its most vocal. Sophomore Eliza Van de Kerkhove said there is a noticeable difference when Gosse is on the field.
“Laura is one of the biggest leaders I’ve come across,” Van de Kerhove said. “She has taken me under her wing and shown me the way to be a better leader. The younger players are always following her.”
Gosse has an undeniable glowing presence on the field. Always quick to laugh and rarely seen without a smile, her unique blend of laugher and leadership follows her wherever she goes, no matter what the situation.
“You can still smile when you are being serious,” Gosse said with a grin. “It is very important to find humor in things, even when life isn’t going your way.”
Her positivity eventually finds its way to the rest of her teammates, who say they appreciate it.
“She is always a weird, quirky person on and off the field,” fellow forward and senior Jennifer Gassman said. “She always tries to not say things around me because she knows I’ll yell at her for it. I’m a more serious person, but it’s still funny.
Gosse’s leadership will be needed as the team heads into the final weeks of the season next month.
While her legacy might be cemented in program history, there is still time for Gosse to add to her story and that of her 2014 team.
CMU’s last match is set for Oct. 30, but Gosse hopes it will not be the final time she slips on a pair of cleats for competitive action.
“The past four years have been by far the best years of my life,” Gosse said. “Knowing I’ve gone through so many different experiences here is crazy. Whenever my last match is, I think I will be sad, but happy with the experiences I have had. “
Gosse’s days at CMU might be numbered, but her heirloom will last for generations of CMU soccer to come.
“When you look at the legendary types of players, you see they have something special that is indefinable,” McGahey said. “Gosse is exactly that.”
