Great players are often simply defined as the ones who score the most goals, but for the women’s soccer team, arguably its most valuable contributor and playmaker has scored a mere total of five times in her collegiate career.

Yet no player has generated more offense for the Eagles than senior midfielder and co-captain Talia Dweck.

In 13 games this season, she has tallied one goal and nine assists for a team-high total of 11 points, which already matches her point total from last season.

Dweck leads the UAA in both total assists and assists in conference matches, and her six points in UAA games ties her for the conference lead. She is currently averaging 0.69 assists per game, which ranks 14th in all of Division III.

With 19 career assists, she stands at 13th on the school’s all-time list, but is just two away from Emory’s single-season record. The record is currently held by two past Eagles, Carrie Eckenhoff who set the record in 2001 and Joyce Lam, who tied the mark in 2007.

“It’s definitely exciting, but I’d rather be winning games,” Dweck says. “Success is measured in wins, and that’s something we need to get more of.”

While Dweck is most recognized for her role in distributing the ball to other players, she has also been able to create scoring chances of her own as well.
She leads team in both shots taken and shots on goal, and scored Emory’s lone goal in an Oct. 10 loss at the University of Chicago off of a 30th-minute penalty kick.

Dweck was honored as the Emory Athlete of the Week for her performance in the team’s Oct. 16 draw against New York University and the Eagles’ Oct. 18 loss to Brandeis.

Her free kick in the 77th minute of the first game set up a header for junior midfielder Melanie Levy that beat the goalkeeper for the game-tying goal.

In the second game of the weekend set, her corner kick in the 27th minute and her assist in the 80th minute led to Emory’s only two goals of the match.

Since arriving at Emory from Wilson High School in Washington, D.C., Dweck has taken advantage of her ample playing time to develop her skills.

During her freshman year, she played in 15 games off the bench and was one of only six team members to see playing time in all 20 games during her sophomore season. Her breakout year came during her junior campaign, when she finished with two goals and a team-high seven assists in 19 starts and 21 total appearances. Her efforts earned her a spot as an honorable mention on the 2008 All-UAA Team.

“I’ve definitely realized that it’s not all about how much skill you have, but how much you work,” Dweck says. “A person that puts in the effort is going to end up better than a person with just skill.”

The Eagles are in the middle of a battle to earn a spot in the postseason. The team is currently 4-4-5 overall this season and sits at 0-2-2 in conference games.

This year’s team has a much different look than the one that won the UAA Championship last season.

Last year’s team had nine seniors, while this year, Dweck is just one of two seniors on a squad primarily made up of underclassmen. It’s an unusual scenario that she enjoys, but it also makes it more important for her to set the tone for the team by working hard every day in practices and in games.

“It’s kinda fun,” she says of the wide age gap on the team. “It’s one thing to be a co-captain, but this is a situation that I’ve never really been in.”

While the team may be young, the players hold themselves to the same standards of the high-caliber Emory teams teams that have been a force in the UAA in recent years.

“We’re working hard, we just need to put things together,” Dweck says. “We’re still in it. We all expect to win and we want to win.”

— Contact David Michaels.