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ASU Soccer: Freshman Nicole Douglas leads from the front

By Edwin Perez

TEMPE, AZ - AUGUST 28: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot, "Sparky" performs during the college football game against the Weber State Wildcats at Sun Devil Stadium on August 28, 2014 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats 45-14. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
TEMPE, AZ - AUGUST 28: Arizona State Sun Devils mascot, "Sparky" performs during the college football game against the Weber State Wildcats at Sun Devil Stadium on August 28, 2014 in Tempe, Arizona. The Sun Devils defeated the Wildcats 45-14. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /
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ASU soccer forward Nicole Douglas has been a key part to the team with her leadership at front and ability to find the net which she leads the team in goals.

Freshman forward Nicole Douglas was one of five international players signed by Arizona State  soccer head coach Graham Winkworth. She leads the team with nine goals and is a big part of the team’s success.

The team, in fact, hasn’t lost when Douglas has scored and in its 10 wins this seaso, the freshman has scored in seven of them. As a forward, she describes herself as hardworking and a leader.

“I like to lead from the front, and if I do not put in hard work in the front it affects the whole team,” Douglas said.

Douglas has been a forward ever since she started playing soccer when she was just six. She credits her start to soccer to her twin brother, who was a goalkeeper.

“I would not be playing soccer if it were not for my twin brother,” Douglas said. “We were in the back garden kicking the ball around, then (I) joined my brother’s local team.”

Years later, she was part of the Chelsea Ladies team and has capped for the English team at the youth level. When it came to leaving England for ASU, Douglas believed she found the perfect fit and didn’t need to adjust to a different style of play.

“Both teams play with a high tempo and are both really good team teams,” Douglas said. “They play a similar style of football.”

One connection that has helped her, even before she arrived, was Jemma Purfield.

“I connect the most with Jemma and I knew her before I even joined ASU,” Douglas said. “You can see it in the way we link up on the pitch and she is a really good player, plus the captain, so I really want to be like her as a senior.”

One thing that is clear: Even though she is a top goal scorer, her main goal is making the postseason, which the team has done since 2014. On a personal note, she hopes to increase her goal tally every year and improve parts of her game.

ASU Soccer: Nicole Douglas leads Sun Devils to victory vs. Washington. dark. Next

Off the pitch, she enjoys watching Netflix, but her main focus during her free time is hanging with friends. She does not get to do it very often with her busy soccer schedule. Another thing she enjoys is the nice, warm weather of Arizona.

All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.