Anytime an athlete comes back from injury, it usually takes time to get back to top form.
Unless you’re San Diego State senior forward Darcy Weiser.
After missing the first eight games of the season because of a lower body injury, Weiser has already scored two goals and notched an assist in just four games – including a game-winning goal against UNLV on Oct. 4th.
Weiser, a native of Huntington Beach, California, said she simply wants to contribute in anyway she can.
“My goal now is to just run around and make a difference,” Weiser said. “Do what I can up top, and be there to score goals, assist goals, do what I can as a senior.”
It’s experience that Weiser has drawn from to find early success in her fourth year at the Mesa.
Weiser has seven goals, along with an assist, in her career as an Aztec – adding Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors in 2018.
Her experience is something that Aztecs head coach Mike Friesen is excited to have back on the squad.
Friesen said Weiser’s experience helps a team that is as young as SDSU.
“She does some of the little things,” Friesen said. “Where we’re struggling right now is when we’re young, when we have older players that can show them how to do things, we haven’t had that.”
SDSU currently has nine freshmen on the roster, including three redshirts. Anytime a senior shows her experience, it’s something Friesen hopes his younger players can look up to.
That has trickled down to players like freshman midfielder Kiera Utush who has scored two goals and an assist.
Utush said having Weiser back and seeing her play is something that helps the team realize its full potential.
“A big influence she has on the freshman is that she just kind of goes for it,” Utush said. “Sometimes we lack confidence, but she helps bring the confidence out of us.”
Weiser’s presence back on the pitch is something that has benefitted the team immensely so far, and part of that is because of her willingness to leave everything on the field.
Friesen acknowledged that while there is still some recovery for Weiser to do coming off an injury, she is still doing a lot of things well.
“Just in her limited minutes…doing the hard work, even though she’s still laboring in her movement, she’s showing up in the right spots,” Friesen said.
Weiser and the Aztecs look to continue their three-game winning streak on Oct. 11 against Boise State, who SDSU is tied for first place in the conference.
