Leading With Lainey
 
Lainey Higgins enjoyed a very successful prep career on the soccer field at Appleton East High School, earning First-Team Fox Valley Association All-Conference honors after a senior campaign that saw her score 18 goals and add nine assists. The four-year varsity starter earned conference postseason honors each season, capped with an honorable mention Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association All-State selection her final year.
 
Up next? Continuing to play in college … so why become a Panther?
 
"I chose UWM for college because it was decently close to my hometown of Appleton, had a very competitive and successful women's soccer program, as well as would prepare me for a successful career," Higgins said. "The city of Milwaukee itself provided both a city and suburban lifestyle which I instantly knew I would enjoy."
 
Higgins knew what she was getting into, as the Panthers went a combined 58-6-7 (.867 winning percentage) the prior four seasons before her arrival and were coming off three consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament. She knew she needed to be ready for the next level.
 
"There was immense pressure coming into a highly competitive and successful program," Higgins said. "I did my best to go in with an open mind and work extremely hard to prove I could be a trustworthy freshman. Coming into this program, I picked up on my team's competitiveness and drive to be a feared opponent in the Horizon League."
 
The Panthers went a whopping 19-2-0 her first season, playing all the way into the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Higgins saw action in all 21 games off the bench, contributing six points on a goal and four assists.
 
"It wasn't hard to notice the winning culture this team had created, and I tried my best to follow and meet the standards that were set and continuously put in my best effort," Higgins said. "As a freshman, there was pressure to perform well enough to keep my team's momentum going and bring my best efforts to the field when I got the chance."
 
She debuted with 15 minutes in the season opener against Northern Illinois, adding her first collegiate point with an assist on the final goal of the 6-0 victory. Her first goal came in late September, finding the back of the net late during a shutout of Cleveland State.
 
"My first goal was against Cleveland State in a 7-0 win," she recalled. "Not the most special, unfortunately, but it was a fun game!"
 
The wins kept coming, rolling up a perfect 11-0-0 record in league play before posting a pair of shutouts to claim the Horizon League Tournament title. It didn't stop there as the Panthers knocked off No. 14 Xavier in the first round of the NCAA's. The season ended in a tough 2-0 loss at No. 2 Virginia in the second round, but the bar was set for Higgins as a Panther in year No. 1.
 
Then came change. Lots of it. A large class of seniors graduated. A new coach.
 
Suddenly, Higgins put herself in position to be a full-time starter as a sophomore. She started all 19 games, tallying 16 points including a team-high and Horizon League-leading 10 assists. The team went 12-4-3 overall that year and again played in the NCAA Tournament. But it was a game in mid-September that, after her career came to a close, was the one that stood out.
 
It was the Horizon League opener, on the road, and the team fell behind 1-0 and 2-1 before a goal Higgins assisted knotted it up at 2-2 in the 78^th minute. But it wasn't meant to be, as the Raiders scored less than two minutes later to secure the 3-2 victory.
 
Fast-forward to the end of her career … all told, Higgins played in 41 career Horizon League regular-season games in her four years. Her record? 34-1-6, an incredible .902 winning percentage. In hindsight, that game against WSU was the only contest her team lost in regular-season league play in her career – the lone blemish as she helped the Panthers earn four regular-season championships.
 
So, what stood out about that single contest?
 
"That singular regular season Horizon League loss reflects on the culture of our team," Higgins said. "That ONE loss I experienced within my four years still haunts me today, simply due to the standard that was set by both the players and coaches before me. To be honest, each player before me on this team made winning look 'easy' and I soon found out, during that very first league game of my sophomore season, that winning was not easy."
 
She was just barely a third of a way into a stellar career in which she would graduate leaving the program ranked 10th all-time with 62 points, tied for seventh with 24 assists, and in eighth place with 171 career shot attempts. She also became just the eighth player to appear in every team game of her career, with her 81 consecutive games played the fifth-most in program history.
 
"That loss was one of the most valuable lessons I could have learned as a player, as it fueled me to outwork each opponent and push myself beyond my capabilities," Higgins said. "While I have gotten to enjoy and celebrate the amazing amount of Horizon League victories with my team over the past four years, I strongly believe that without experiencing that loss on September 15, 2022, the team's work ethic, togetherness, and resilience would not be at the level it is today."
 
She continued to grow and get better as a player each fall. Named First Team All-Horizon League as a sophomore, she upped the ante to United Soccer Coaches All-North Region Third Team honors and a repeat of First Team All-Horizon League status as a junior.
 
"I took advantage of every moment I was given, no matter how small," Higgins said. "I was grateful to have gotten to play in all 21 games as a freshman off the bench, and during that time I found myself observing the players above me – learning from them what makes this team so successful. I used that time of experience and observation to fuel my confidence in my future years which helped me grow as a player."
 
She finished among the Horizon League leaders in numerous categories as a junior: third in shots on goal (27), fifth in assists (6) and shots (48), sixth in points (18), and eighth in goals (6).
 
"My teammates and coaches also helped me grow as their belief, trust, and support in me as a player allowed me to instill confidence within myself which contributed largely to the way I played," she said.
 
Senior year in 2024 was next and Higgins wanted to cap her time as a Panther in the right way – and that she did. She was named the Horizon League Player of the Year and again First-Team All-League, finishing the season with 22 points on nine goals and four assists. She was also named to the United Soccer Coaches Second-Team All-Region after finishing second in the Horizon League in points (22) and points-per-game (1.05), as well as tied for second in goals scored.
 
Oh, and she helped guide the Panthers to another great season, going 9-0-1 in conference play and once again participating in the NCAA Tournament.
 
"Being named Horizon League Player of the Year reflects on how powerful and resilient of a program I got to be a part of," Higgins said. "The senior season of soccer I experienced was largely due to the efforts and support of each teammate, staff, and support system of mine."
 
Being named player of the year is a big deal. Higgins became the ninth student-athlete in program history to pick up the impressive honor. So how did she find out?
 
"I found out I was named player of the year from my teammate Abby Stoeck, who had sent me the kindest congratulations text," she said. "I had no idea what she was talking about, but as I opened my Instagram, I was caught up quickly. The accolade means so much to me and was an amazing way to wrap up my career here at Milwaukee. The overall journey was not easy, there were good days and bad days, but it had meant so much to me that all the hard work and dedication from the program did not go unnoticed."
 
 Success in anything in life does not come easy, but after four years that is the essential word one can use to describe Higgins and her collegiate career. In her four-year tenure, the team won four regular-season league titles, four league tournament titles, and made four NCAA Tournament appearances. What a run it was, that's for sure.
 
"Each achievement in the moment was a great feeling, and something I will always remember," Higgins said. "Looking back at them now, these successes show how dominant of a program UWM has due to the coaching staff and each individual player's hard work, determination, and commitment. When Kevin (Boyd) and Steve (Lucas) joined the staff [before her sophomore campaign], I remember making some long-term goals at the beginning of each season; winning the regular season, winning the conference tournament, and making it to the NCAA tournament all being one of those goals. With these goals in mind, we focused on each individual game – without looking too far ahead – but acknowledging that we had goals to meet."
 
And meet those goals they did. But now that it's time to graduate and move on and her time on campus is over, what stood out the most?
 
"There are so many amazing memories I have collected in my time as a Panther," Higgins said. "My favorites would be getting to lift the Horizon League trophy with my teammates to honor all of our hard work. I will also never forget the week-long road trips and hotel stays with the team."
 
Higgins got to enjoy the best parts of being a student-athlete while wearing the Black & Gold. In addition to her hard work on the field, her work in the classroom was top-notch as well, as she earned numerous academic awards, including being named the Horizon League 2024 Fall Scholar-Athlete of the Season. She was also a regular on the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, the Horizon League All-Academic Team, and the Horizon League Academic Honor Roll.
 
"I think the most memorable matches will always be the Horizon League tournament games that we have hosted at Engelmann," she said. "The atmosphere, intensity, and outcomes of those games will always be in my mind forever."
 
She also had the opportunity to play in some amazing atmospheres and facilities, taking on numerous nationally-ranked opponents while playing in front of crowds of over 2,000 spectators over the course of her stellar career.
 
"Michigan State, Virginia, Arkansas, and Wake Forest's fields and environments were definitely the most memorable as well," she recalled.