With softball and track and field busy at the California Collegiate Athletic Association Championships, and baseball busy preparing for them, we caught up with Chico State women’s soccer striker Erin Woods in preparation for the upcoming fall season. In roughly a week Woods will be graduating from Chico State. But after a broken ankle sidelined her all of her freshman season and forced her to redshirt, the nutrition major plans to fulfill her final year of eligibility on the Chico State soccer team in the fall of 2018 by taking two fun classes, yoga and ceramics.

Entering your senior season, what kind of leadership do you plan to bring with you that you may not have in previous seasons?

“As a senior, it is more about putting it all out there because it is my final season. Instead of worrying about hurting feelings or stepping on toes, I am going to demand from my team what is expected and hope for the best. Hopefully, people fall in my footsteps.”

You are planning to join the Peace Corps following graduation. Can you talk about where that passion came from and how Chico has helped prepare you for that next step?

“In high school, I was part of a group called Global Student Embassy and I traveled to Ecuador and Nicaragua and I did some volunteer service over there where I really learned my passion for traveling and helping under-developed countries. So, it has been a dream of mine since high school to travel and go abroad. I most recently applied to Guatemala Peace Corps so I am looking to hear back soon. Chico has been an awesome place to explore community development and integration and with the soccer team I have also traveled to Trinidad and Tobago and volunteered over there.”

What is your favorite goal or favorite moment (whether it be at Chico State or not)?

“My favorite goal would have to be my first ever goal. In the past, I am a center defender so I wasn’t used to scoring goals, but I am pretty good in the air. I would go up for corner kicks and I scored a header and it broke through so the starting one would have to be my favorite.”

If you could change any goal in soccer what would it be and why?

“I think that all the rules in soccer are good, but if I had to change one, I think it would probably be handballs in the box that are accidental that get called penalties. I think that’s the worst way to lose. I also hate penalty shootouts. I think there should be a different way to win a game other than who can score the most goals past a keeper.”

What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened in your soccer career (that you can share)?

“As a defender, when you’re going to clear the ball and completely miss the ball and it runs right by you, I think that is the most embarrassing thing that you can do. This time it was only embarrassing because it happened in a game that didn’t matter, whereas if I did it in a game that was serious, it would be the worst thing that could ever happen to me.”

Justin Couchot can be reached at [email protected] or @JCouchot_Sports on Twitter.