WASHINGTON – Although COVID-19 has prevented us from competing this fall, there are still plenty of former Georgetown women's soccer players playing professionally. We caught up with a few of them to see how they are handling their seasons during these uncertain times.
This week, we were able to chat with former Hoya Kyra Carusa (SCS'19), who took her soccer career to the professional level overseas in Denmark. Although Carusa only played on the Hilltop for one year as a graduate student coming from Stanford, she led the undefeated Hoyas to their third-straight BIG EAST Championship title and another College Cup appearance.
Please keep us up to date, where are you playing these days and how did you end up there? How do you like living there?
Carusa: I play with HB Køge in Denmark. We play in the top women's Danish division, Elitedivisionen.I played with the team last season where we successfully promoted into the elite division. I love living in Denmark. I live in the cozy town of Køge, 25 minutes outside of Copenhagen. We bike around Køge most days to the nice town center.
How has it been for you so far, has it been a difficult adjustment? How would you describe the style of soccer compared to playing at Georgetown?
Carusa: Overall, it has been a fantastic integration of cultures. Our team is young, but incredibly talented. Similar to Georgetown, we like to play. Our goalkeeper is good with her feet; we look to build the play and dictate the intensity of the game.
What effect has the COVID-19 pandemic had on you personally and professionally?
Carusa: COVID-19 paused everything when it came to personal and professional development. I was abroad when quarantine began and was forced to come home and wait it out. Fortunately, we were allowed back into Denmark in June and could finish our season. This was huge for us, since it allowed us to promote into the top division.
Remind us of your favorite moment in your Georgetown playing career.
Carusa: One of my MANY favorite Georgetown memories is beating West Virginia 2-0 at West Virginia. We played so well together as a team, secured a huge win on the road and sang "Take Me Home, Country Roads" the entire ride back to DC. The win helped us secure a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament later on in the season. That, and us being undefeated!
What advice would you give somebody who wants to play professional soccer after college?
Carusa: Advocate for yourself, always. A lot of people have opinions about you as a player, the direction of your career, your abilities. At the end of the day, you have to be confident in your abilities, understand yourself as a player and be your own biggest advocate.
