Beyond the Goals: There’s No One Like Delaney Parker

Westfield State women's soccer senior Delaney Parker (Orange, Mass.) hit a remarkable milestone on Saturday, scoring her 200^th career point with her first goal of the day in the Owls' 5-1 win over Fitchburg State.

"Coming into college, this was something I never dreamed of achieving," said Parker.  "It's great to have such a good support team, with my coaches, my teammates, and my family, who's been with me every step of the way."

Entering Saturday's game, Parker was tied with 198 career points with Westfield State men's soccer Hall of Famer Ali Goncalves, a key player of the 1974 team that made it to the NCAA Division III Final Four. Securing 200 points, Delaney has made history as the first player, male or female, to reach this mark at Westfield State.

With an impressive debut as the country's leading goal scorer in 2021, all eyes are on Parker every time she steps on the field. Even though she is known for her scoring ability, Parker brings much more to the game. As Parker competes in her final year with the Westfield State Owls, she is determined to have a successful and unforgettable 2024 season.

Westfield State women's soccer has dominated the MASCAC conference, winning the Championship for the last three seasons (2021-2023). Parker was named 2023 and 2021 MASCAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year, and supplied the game-winning goal against Bridgewater State in the 2023 MASAC Championship. Parker has had an outstanding career with the Owls. At the time of this publication, she has scored 85 career goals – more than any other active player in NCAA Division 3, and shattering Westfield's previous record of 52 career goals, that she broke early in her junior season.  

Parker's journey to Westfield was driven by wanting a quality education.

 "I started looking at schools that were great for athletic training and I saw that Westfield State had a great program, so that really started my journey into deciding to come here." After reaching out to women's soccer coach Todd Ditmar, Delaney saw how strong the program was and felt welcomed by coach Ditmar. "I just love it here. I'm not in athletic training anymore, I'm a sports medicine major so it's pretty similar."

Delaney was on Coach Ditmar's radar from the beginning. He recalls watching her compete as a freshman at Mahar high school during the Western Massachusetts playoffs.

 "She was tiny but so skilled and fast," he said. "I continued following her high school career, and she was just an amazing goal scorer, which you don't come across that often."

Since Parker's freshman year, when she scored a total of 31 goals, opponents have been aware of her skill and adjusted their game plans accordingly to focus more defensively on her. However, the pressure isn't only from opponents. Delaney opened up about the constant pressure she feels to score in every game and her struggle dealing with that expectation.

"Sophomore year was a huge setback for me because I had a lot more defensive focus on me, and I wasn't scoring as many goals. People would always ask me, 'How many goals are you going to score today?' I found myself coming out of games with a negative mindset if I didn't score, even if our team won. I think that's just something that so many people expected of me. They drilled it into my mind."

Parker came back the next season with a different mindset about how she could contribute to the team's success, "I realized that it wasn't just about my scoring, it was more about my role on the field and how I contributed to different plays. I would look more to the positives of my performances that weren't just my scoring opportunities."

Delaney's influence and support system throughout her soccer career has been her older sister, Ally, who played field hockey at Providence College (2016-2019). She viewed Ally as a mentor and aspired to be just as good as her growing up. Since youth sports, Delaney's first choice as a uniform was number three, inspired by her sister who wore the same number. Ally is a source of guidance for Delaney as she navigates the mental challenges of competitive sports. Delaney shared, "She taught me valuable life lessons about how to be comfortable with failure and that you're not always going to be successful, but it's how you pick yourself up from that failure."  

Parker is a dedicated two-sport athlete, also showcasing her talents in track and field. She joined the track team in her junior year and took first place in the 4x100 Relay at the 2024 MASCAC Championship. Coach Ditmar has seen a remarkable transformation in her speed since Delaney joined track and field. Together, her experiences in both sports have shaped her into a profound athlete.

"She's always the positive captain that we have out on the field," said teammate and roommate Emily Ottomaniello (Agawam, MA), who has played with Parker for the past three years. " She's so humble even though she's the best player on the team."

Coach Ditmar also emphasized Delaney's leadership and work ethic.

"She leads by example," he said. "She is probably the hardest worker on the team. She comes to practice every day trying to get better. She makes her other players better and she's not just a scorer she's a playmaker."

Individual player success has been a hallmark for Westfield State women's soccer, with players like Meg Gearin, Kayley Miller, Sarah Sypek, and Jenn Rennich each posting impressive scoring totals over the past 15 years, but there's been nothing like Parker, as she has doubled most of those players scoring stats. Under coach Ditmar, the Owls have 10 MASCAC championships and 10 NCAA appearances, advancing to the second round on several occasions since he became head coach in 2005.

After graduation, Delaney aspires to become a physical therapist, choosing to be close to home. Even though this is Parker's last season with the Owls, she isn't ready to hang up the cleats just yet; instead, she plans to participate in adult leagues, continuing her passion for the sport.

In the victory against Fitchburg State on Saturday, Parker scored what proved to be the game-winner from a pass by junior Kiana Muratsuka (Mililani, HI) up the midfield to seal Parker's 200^th career point. Delaney contributed a second goal, also assisted by Muratsuka, raising Parker's current total to 202 career points on 85 goals and 32 assists.

There's still more to come.  With a current record of 8-3-4 and undefeated at 5-0 in the conference, the Owls look to improve their record, as they head to Plymouth State on Wednesday, October 23, 2024. The team is determined to claim their fourth MASCAC Championship in a row and ensure a return to the NCAA Tournament. Parker and Westfield finish the regular season with a match at Salem State on November 2 before the MASCAC Tournament begins the following week.

-- Written by Ashlyn Nichols, sports information intern