Nov. 21, 2013
By Matt Allibone, GoPSUsports.com Student Staff Writer
UNIVESITY PARK, Pa. - As a star senior at Newark Academy in West Orange, N.J. in 2009, Maya Hayes had her selection of college soccer programs to choose from, including Duke, North Carolina, and UCLA.
Despite the wide range of options, there was something about the promise of the program that head coach Erica Walsh had started at Penn State that Hayes couldn't walk away from.
"I didn't want to go to another school where I was just going to be another name going through their program," said Hayes. "I wanted to go to a place where I could help build a program and make a good team great."
Four years, two All-American selections and 71 goals later, the senior forward has no regrets about the ride that her decision to come to Penn State has taken her on.
From her freshman campaign, when the Nittany Lions finished just one game over .500, to last season when they made the school's first appearance in a national title game, Hayes has watched the Lions grow as a program.
"It's been a journey and one that I've enjoyed since I got here," said Hayes. "My expectations have been exceeded and it's been a joy to watch this program grow."
As the Nittany Lions have risen as a national power during Hayes's time with the team, she herself has developed immensely, having gone from a raw, talented freshman to the third leading goal scorer in Penn State history.
When Walsh watches Hayes play now compared to when she first watched her suit up for the Blue and White, the differences begin with the refinement that the two-time Big Ten Forward of the Year has put into her game.
"She's a student of the game and she's become a lot more sophisticated," said Walsh. "She reads the play a lot better and her movement has improved as she's added more variety to her game."
That variety of skills and explosive speed has been terrorizing Big Ten defenses since 2010, but when Walsh thinks about Hayes's development, she spends little time dwelling on the goals.
Never the team's most vocal player, Hayes's ascension in the locker room as a player who others can learn from has impressed the entire Nittany Lions coaching staff, and it all begins with her work ethic.
"Maya is definitely a lead by example player," said Walsh. "She puts the work in and people respect her and understand who she is and what she is about."
For Hayes, being a leader has meant understanding the regard that her teammates hold her in and living up to the expectations that come with being one of the nation's top goal scorers.
"The older that I've gotten I've learned about the affect that I can have on people around me," said Hayes. "I've tried to be a bigger influence, not just with my play but also with my words and doing the little things."
Perhaps the best quality that Hayes has exhibited during her time at Penn State has been her never-ending desire to continue improving.
After consecutive All-American seasons her sophomore and junior years, Hayes spent the summer before her senior year working harder than ever, in order to make sure she was prepared for her final campaign.
For a squad that had just lost All-American midfielder and Herman Trophy Finalist Christine Nairn, the added dedication and devotion was invaluable.
"When you lose a player like Christine your attack changes," said Walsh. "Maya has had to do a whole lot more which has made her a better and more well-rounded player."
After another sterling campaign in which she has added 19 more goals to her career total, Hayes has led the Nittany Lions into the second round of the NCAA Tournament looking for one more shot at a national title.
However this season ends up for her and her teammates, the West Orange, N.J. native hopes that she will be remembered in Happy Valley for more than just the offensive ability that she has displayed on a regular basis.
"I just want to be remembered as someone who cared and looked out for everyone," said Hayes. "It's easy to say scoring goals but at the end of the day it's [your influence] more about the people around you than it is about soccer."
When asked what she will remember about her star forward the most, Walsh doesn't hesitate to say that she will remember Hayes's smile before she thinks of anything else.
At the end of the day, the spirit that Hayes has brought to the Penn State women's soccer program only makes the task of replacing her that much harder.
"She's always happy and she makes everyone want to train which makes training so enjoyable," said Walsh. "A player like her comes around every five years if you're lucky so you can't just replace someone like her."