Redskins Hartley signs national letter of intent
COSHOCTON – Emily Hartley, a senior at Coshocton High School, signed her national letter of intent to play college soccer at Division II Wheeling Jesuit University on Wednesday, Feb. 4 in the Coshocton High School library as her family watched.
Hartley has been playing soccer since the age of four. Her club play started at the age of seven with the Coshocton Strikers travel boys team. She played on all boys teams until the age of 12. At that time, she was recruited by the Columbus Crew Juniors program back in 2007.
While competing for the Lady Redskins girls’ soccer team, Hartley accumulated numerous individual awards. These include being named four time first team All-Ohioan, three time east district player of the year and two time ECOL player of the year. She also reset the record board at CHS with 119 career goals, 281 career points, 7 goals in a game, 14 points in a game, 6 assists in a game and 18 assists in a season.
Emily also helped her team to compile a four year record of 53-18-2. The Lady Redskins won the ECOL title in 2012 and captured two District titles with her in uniform.
Hartley said of the signing, “It feels amazing to know where I’m going to school. I have pictured playing in college since junior high and I’m real excited that I have found a school where I want to play next year. I really have enjoyed my dad coaching. I don’t think if he didn’t coach I would be where I am right now. He has pushed me more than anybody else just because he is my dad, he wants me to succeed. I think that’s one of the main things I have enjoyed here.”
“Sometimes you could hear us yell back and forth – and I kind of regret saying something back because I know that he wants me to succeed. It was difficult at times but I really enjoyed it.”
“I love all of the girls on the team (Redskins). They all mean something to me – even from my senior year not knowing half of the freshman, they really played hard and I was proud of how we all played as a team. I am happy that my best friend Kallie played all four years with me.”
Hartley said a memorable moment for her was beating Zanesville 1-0 when she was a sophomore to win the ECOL title that year. “I remember scoring a goal with about five minutes to go.”
“I also don’t think I would be where I am today if it wasn’t for my mom. She always was the one that took me to Columbus three times a week. She never slept because of her schedule. I’m really happy I have the parents that I have that have supported me and have pushed me to do these things.”
Coach and Emily’s dad Matt Hartley said, “It’s a great moment. She’s worked really hard to get to this point. We’re really proud of the effort she’s put in. She had a lot of tough decisions to make and this was the most comfortable. I think it’s a good choice. There are many memorable moments but for me it would have to be when we beat a state ranked River View team. I’m not sure we had ever beaten them in the regular season. She got a goal from Nikki and from then on we played great defense to win. This is an absolute team sport. No matter how well someone plays, there are 11 players on the field. The rest of the team is as much a part of this as she is. There was a lot of time where she – if it wasn’t for her teammates there would not have been the same opportunities. A lot of the records that she has are due to teammates, great defenses and more. This team works hard and they always brought each other up. Our team going forward will be just fine.”
Tim Fortney, Athletic Director said, “We are very proud of Emily Hartley’s accomplishments here at Coshocton High School. She is a great competitor, she is a multi-sport athlete, and she is an excellent student. Her success is a direct result of her hard work and dedication both on the field and in the classroom. We are going to miss her but we certainly wish her great success at Wheeling Jesuit University.”
Category: High School, Sports