Two is better than one

Sisters Ashleigh and Alyssa Hill have a bond that goes beyond the soccer field

Best friends. Number one fans. Roommates. These all describe the relationship between sisters Ashleigh and Alyssa Hill. Now, the pair can add being regular members of the starting lineup for the Lady Flames soccer team to the list.

Ashleigh Hill, a sophomore, welcomed her freshman sister to campus with open arms. As for advice for her younger sister, Ashleigh could sum it up with one line, “Don’t be a stupid, little freshman.”

Although she is in her first year with the program, Alyssa Hill has quickly solidified her role with the team. Adam Godwin, an assistant coach, said that she could play at any college in the nation, including teams in the Power Five conferences.

Alyssa is off to a fast start in the attack with five shots in four games. That puts her in the top four on the team for that important statistic.

Alyssa is also the only freshman to start a game this season.

According to Godwin, she is getting stronger every day.

“Starting as a freshman, (Alyssa is already) doing a great job impacting the game,” Godwin said.

As for her older sister, things are progressing just as nicely.

Godwin said that Ashleigh Hill came a long way from being on the fringes as a freshman to becoming a significant mainstay on the team’s defensive corps.

How does one move from the bottom to the top of the pecking order in less than 12 months?

Apparently, a familiar face can make all the difference.

“I feel like I’m more positive and more encouraging,” Ashleigh said.

“I definitely treat (the team) like more of a family.”

Going along with the kindred theme, the team’s word for the year happens to be “Ohana,” which in Hawaiian culture means family. Ashleigh admits that the saying means more to her as a result of having her sister wearing the same jersey.

“I understand that my teammates are my family,” Ashleigh said.

And uniting as a single unit has made a big difference in boosting her play to the next level. She has been a key figure in a back line that has held the opposition to just one goal per game. As a result, she has received high praise from her coaching staff.

“(She looks) like an All-Conference central defender,” Godwin said.

The sisters’ chemistry on the field began early on in life. Fueled by competition, the duo occasionally drove each other to tears while playing the beautiful game.

“I remember always playing soccer together in the back yard, knocking each other down and we’re (still) the same way now,” Ashleigh said.

But there is more to life than soccer. When it comes to their relationship off of the field, Ashleigh simply says, “We are best friends.”

Not wanting to leave any room for question, the sisters decided to prove their friendship to each other by becoming roommates this year. Living together has proven to be beneficial to them both.

“Coming in I was super nervous, and (Ashleigh) would always encourage me and tell me how great it is,” Alyssa said.

It is no secret that the sisters share a bond that goes well outside of the field’s chalk. The only thing that is left uncertain is just how far they can help lead the Lady Flames this year and beyond.

The Hill sisters next take the field at home for the Lady Flames Sept. 13 against VCU at 2 p.m.

KEATING is a sports reporter.