Five concussions, a glute injury, a mysterious illness — senior Elizabeth Cruden’s soccer career was one setback after another. Despite this, she never gave up, and last October her Division III commitment to Brandeis University made it all worth it. 

“I didn’t have a plan B — my entire life was soccer,” Elizabeth said. “The team at Brandeis is very bonded, they all support each other, and I thought that was a great environment.”

Elizabeth didn’t always know she’d take this path — due to injury, she missed a large majority of the last four years’ school and club soccer seasons. Elizabeth’s introduction to the sport was in second grade when she was inspired to follow her sister’s footsteps. After a year in a recreational league, she moved into the competitive world at Mountain View-Los Altos Soccer Club. 

Though she started in the field, Elizabeth quickly found her place in front of the goal. 

“In fourth grade, one day I was just thrown into the goal, and I accidentally dove for the ball,” Elizabeth said. “I thought I was the coolest person ever. And after that, I knew, ‘This is my position.’”

But the fun of playing goalkeeper also came with injuries.

It began her freshman year, when a repetitive strain in her glute manifested into a mechanical issue, benching her for seven months. The opportunity to play during the fall and winter seasons was gone. 

“She had this big old brace on,” varsity girls soccer Head Coach Jacob Valadez said. “Her parents decided it wasn’t the best idea to play high school soccer at the time, and I was bummed. I was really excited to coach her.”

Eventually, spring came, and Elizabeth was back to play the full season, getting highlights she would go on to send to colleges. 

But her relief was short-lived. A knee injury, followed by a strange illness, ended her sophomore fall.

“We still don’t know what it was,” Elizabeth said. “I slept 16 hours a day; I couldn’t stand for more than ten minutes without my knees buckling. I told everyone I was still out from a knee injury, but it was too hard to explain.”

Elizabeth’s winter season had vanished, and by spring, another concussion ended any hope that she could return for her sophomore year. Still, she kept training. 

By the time her junior year came around, Elizabeth came back stronger than ever. She played her first season on the Bay Area Surf Soccer Club, a team she’d joined as a sophomore but was never healthy enough to compete on. 

Unfortunately, this return would, again, be brief — another concussion hit her shortly after. This time, her parents were ready to call it. 

“They were convinced it was my time to be done,” Elizabeth said. “They said I couldn’t go back to soccer. We had a huge conversation about quitting.”

But she convinced them otherwise, and they reached a compromise: Elizabeth had to step down as a goalie. If she wanted to return, it had to be in the field. 

During her senior year, she did just that with the Los Altos High School varsity soccer team. 

“I gained more respect for the field players,” Elizabeth said. “There’s a lot of running and communicating, and players coming at you from different directions. It was honestly a little disorienting.”

Not only was her role on the field different, so was her overall experience.

“It’s a lot more laid back,” Elizabeth said. “It’s filled with younger players, but the talent is still crazy.” 

Despite Elizabeth’s many setbacks, her skills stayed sharp. 

“She has amazing control of the ball when it comes to things out of the air,” Elizabeth’s former club teammate Talia Alvidrez said. “She’s really good at reading the game. She seems to see something before it happens.”

Ultimately, Elizabeth’s talent and consistency allowed her to prevail. In October of 2024, Elizabeth decided to commit to Brandeis University. 

“Their coach just sat me down and walked me through every single step,” Elizabeth said. “She knew I was behind others because of my injury, and was supportive and compassionate the whole way.”

“When Elizabeth is dedicated to something, there’s nothing she can’t do,” senior Sophia Roehrs said. “Soccer is a part of her identity, and she’ll lift up the whole team with her game and energy.”