Courtney Crane was supposed to play college ice hockey in Minnesota, not soccer in Tempe.
But at the last second, she changed her mind and decided to join the ASU soccer team as a walk-on in 2003.
More than four years later, she's really happy with her decision.
"At the time I didn't know [if ASU was the right place for me]," she said. "Now looking back, I know for sure that I wouldn't have had it any other way. It's been the best five years of my life."
Crane is about to end her career as one of the best offensive players in program history as she currently ranks No. 8 all-time in career goals (15) and No. 9 all-time in career points (37).
She grew up in Oak Park, Calif., as a two-sport athlete, with soccer always taking a backseat to ice hockey because of the traveling and expenses.
But after her recruiting trip to Oxford College in Minnesota, she realized that it wasn't the place for her.
It gets so cold in a Minnesota winter that the college uses underground tunnels to connect campus buildings so its students don't have to go outside, Crane said.
She said students there think it's "awesome."
"And here I [was] this Southern California chick who loves the beach and I was like 'Uh, what? That does not sound awesome to me,'" she said. "I just didn't see myself fitting in really well on the team."
So it was on to plan B, and Crane began searching for schools to play soccer at, and she eventually walked on at ASU just two months before the 2003 season started.
"My freshman year I had no idea what to expect," she said. "I didn't even think I was going to travel. I wanted to and I knew I was going to work hard to try to get there, but I didn't want to be disappointed in myself if I didn't. I knew the level was really high, it was going to be really intense."
Crane proved she was definitely cut out for Division-I soccer during her freshman year as she played her way into the starting lineup and finished third on the team in goals (5), assists (4) and points (14).
"I kind of liked being the underdog my freshman year because I could be like 'What? You don't think I can do it? Let me show you that I can do it,'" she said.
During the 2005 season, Crane's career took a downturn when she tore her ACL in the second match and was forced to redshirt and watch the rest of the season from the sidelines.
"The hardest thing was the senior class was the class right above me when I came in as a freshman that kind of took me in under their arm," she said. "A couple of my very, very best friends were in that class and some very, very good soccer players. To know that I couldn't play with them for their senior year, that's what killed me deep down."
Crane recovered from surgery and was back on track in 2006 as she led the team in goals (5) and points (13) as a redshirt junior.
Now in her senior season, Crane's role has evolved from the underdog to a player expected to perform at a high level.
"It's a lot harder I think because if you don't reach those expectations then sometimes you get down on yourself," she said. "Even if you've played a good game you're just like 'I need to be scoring, I need to be doing this. I'm the leader of the team.' It's a lot more pressure."
This season she is currently tied for the team lead with four goals.
"Most of her goals have shown up from the gritty goal, the opportunistic goal," ASU coach Kevin Boyd said. "You have to have a player on your team getting those, so it's great that she's it."
However, Crane's role on the team extends way beyond her ability to put the ball in the net.
"She has an infectiously exciting positive attitude that greatly impacts our team," Boyd said. "It happens in the locker room before games and it happens on a regular basis on the field and it's something that's special."
Crane said she sees herself as a presence off the field as well.
"I feel like I'm a leader but at the same time I feel like I'm a friend to everyone on the team," she said. "I feel like most people on the team know they can come to me about anything whether it's soccer or not soccer."
Despite her success on the field, Crane said playing soccer at ASU has made an impact on her in a much greater way.
"The experience as a whole has definitely shaped me into the person I am today," she said. "I don't even know who I would be without soccer and without ASU and without my teammates."
Crane has also had the chance to document her senior year experience on paper as she has a weekly blog that is posted on the ASU Athletics Web site.
"I've always enjoyed writing, I was an English major for a semester," she said. "I told [assistant coach Nancy Goffi] that I would absolutely love to do it [when she asked me] and I've loved every second of it."
Crane originally thought about going into physical therapy after graduating, but after doing an internship has decided to try to go into the business world instead.
However, Crane is also an avid wakeboarder and snowboarder and would ultimately love to work for a wakeboard company.
"I almost, on record I guess, love it more than soccer," she said. "Between the actual adrenaline rush of doing the sport and just the whole atmosphere of hanging out on a boat and being with your friends and being in the sun, it's just my ideal situation."
With her journey as a Sun Devil almost complete and her name already etched in the ASU record books, Crane wants to be known as someone who was not just a threat to score, but as a role model and someone who put her heart and soul into the game.
"I just want to be remembered as somebody who is very passionate about what I do and somebody who gets along with everybody and is just out to have a good time and put smiles on people's faces and at the same time work as hard as I can and do whatever it takes," she said. "I hope that inspires some of the younger players to be like 'Oh, that's what it takes to be a good soccer player.'"
Reach the reporter at: gina.mizell@asu.edu.
