Lower Merion’s Hannah Blodget is Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week
The junior forward was the second-leading scorer for the undefeated Central League champion Aces (12-0), tallying seven goals and dishing out five assists despite battling an ankle injury this past fall. She received second team All-Main Line honors as well as All-Central League honors. Lower Merion girls’ soccer head coach Kevin Ries said, “Hannah is a dangerous attacker that has a knack of scoring goals. She is a tough, fast goal scorer that finds her way into the box. She makes the other forwards better by breaking down the other team’s backline.” Off the pitch at Lower Merion, Blodget is a representative of the Council for Racial Equity and Inclusivity (CREI), and a member of Asian Culture Club, BuildOn and American Sign Language Club.
Q: What is your favorite memory of the 2020 Lower Merion girls’ soccer season?
A: Seeing our keeper Audrey Brown scoring the defining goal in the Central League championship final. Not only was it “magisterial,” it exemplified the complete contribution of every player on our team.
Q: You played academy soccer as a freshman and sophomore before coming to Lower Merion for your junior year. Tell us a little about your experience in academy soccer, and compare it to playing for Lower Merion.
A: The academy systems of Players Development Academy (PDA) and PA Classics reinforced the integral importance of each position on the field, and kept creation at the forefront. Penn Fusion’s collaborative coaching staff offers varied perspectives. As for coming to Lower Merion, while Development Academy teammates often rotate, playing for your community alongside lifelong friends is a heartfelt experience.
Q: What do you think was the biggest key to your productive scoring this fall?
A: As far as goal scoring, I finished opportunities when they were given. The true gratification and overall weight are in the chances created for others.
Q: Tell us a little about your soccer training since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. What have you found to be the biggest challenge to your training during the pandemic, and how did you handle that?
A: Daily touches, rowing, weightlifting, and follow up with game film were paramount. Securing field space and consistent game play were the biggest obstacles. Arranging pickup games to maintain timing proved to solve the issue.
Q: Tell us a little about your start in soccer. Have you always played forward? Who have been your biggest soccer mentors, and what were the most important things you learned from each one?
A: I began as a center forward, but found my real talent and opportunity lay at left wing. My first coach, Nico Severini, taught me the Argentine style of play, love for the game, and understanding who I was as a player. At PDA, Glenn Nellins improved my speed of play, decision making, skill set, selflessness, refinement, and composure through multiple formations in the English style of play. At PA Classics, Todd Wawrousek provided a platform for creativity, versatility, tactical awareness, leadership, and exposure within a higher age group.
Q: What do you think is the strongest aspect of your game?
A: The ability to read the field and execute the best tactical choice at an accelerated pace.
Q: What part of your game are you working on the most currently?
A: Currently, I’m working on revising the variations in my runs.
Q: Tell us a little about your pre-game preparation the day of a game.
A: The night before a game entails meticulous bag packing, assessment of my game objectives, and reviewing opponent game film if available. The morning of game day consists of yoga and meditation to help establish a composed mindset for the game. Eating one large carb-heavy breakfast with a banana an hour before I leave is followed by a game playlist, which is my source of inspiration.
Q: You wear jersey No. 11 for Lower Merion soccer. Why did you pick this number?
A: I chose No. 11 to represent my placement on the field true to standard positioning.
Q: What is your favorite course at Lower Merion? What do you think you might want to major in at college? Is there a career field that particularly interests you at the present time?
A: My favorite course offered by far was AP Psychology, hence what I want to major in. I want to be a profiler.
Fun facts – Hannah Blodget
Favorite book: And Then There Were None.
Favorite author: Elmore Leonard.
Favorite TV show: Law and Order.
Favorite movie: Now You See Me.
Favorite athlete: Willian.
Favorite pre-game pump-up song: Triumph by Pitbull.
Favorite team: Tottenham Hotspurs.
Favorite place to visit: 9th Arrondissement of Paris.
Favorite pre-game meal: Power grain bowl with grilled chicken from Zoë’s Kitchen.
Person I most admire, and why: “Crystal Dunn – I admire her tenacity and analytical skills.”
Family members: parents Kyle and Danielle, brother Noah.
(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)
