Lauren Bruno, a two-time CAA defensive player of the year and a member of the 2022 CAA Regular Season Champions, wraps up not only her season but her career as a member of the Monmouth University women’s soccer team.
On Nov. 15, I had the opportunity to sit down with Bruno and take a look back on her soccer career and what made her fall in love with the sport.
Surrounded by soccer at a very young age, Bruno’s love for it started around 5 years old. While she grew up playing alongside her two brothers, Bruno gave her mom the credit for giving her the passion and love she has for the sport. “I can thank my mom for that,” Bruno added.
Bruno’s mom, Jamie Bruno, played soccer for the Hawks from 1989-91. Bruno said, “Growing up I never wanted to come here [Monmouth], I didn’t want to necessarily follow in my moms footsteps.” Bruno certainly made a name for herself over the years as she has accumulated numerous accolades due to her hard work. She followed up by adding that she’s so grateful to have made it here and how it’s now a cool story considering her mom was a Hawk as well.
Bruno attended Manalapan High School where she was a four-year varsity letter winner and all-shore conference selection. She grew up as a midfielder but was recruited to Monmouth as a defender. “I had to adapt to a new style of play with new coaches,” Bruno explained. Therefore, it wasn’t just the transition and style of play that Bruno had to adjust to, but also a new position.
Bruno certainly took on the task of adapting to a new style of play, as she earned her second consecutive year as CAA defensive player of the year on Oct. 30. Bruno shared, “It really means a lot to me, and it meant a lot to me last year because I always felt like I was overlooked. From a defender perspective I’m short and not as physically intimidating. Growing up I felt like even in the recruiting process I was overlooked a lot.” Going from the MAAC and earning second-team honors to moving up to the CAA and earning first team honors and CAA defensive player of the year twice is something that means a lot to Bruno and what she described as, “Something that proves my efforts were worthwhile.”
When going from the MAAC to the CAA, Bruno said it was “scary, honestly, to think about the potential of not being as competitive.” However, they defeated the odds and the Monmouth women’s soccer team claimed the regular season championship title in just their first year (2022) in the CAA. This was a win that Bruno expressed as one of the best moments in her career. Bruno said, “I remember that game with my teammates, we played Northeastern. It was raining and it was such a great win. It felt like we really fulfilled our season-long effort.” Making that transition from the MAAC to the CAA, Bruno explained that a lot of people doubted their ability to maintain the same competitiveness. “We proved really early on, our first season, that we were able to win the regular season and that meant so much to me,” Bruno commented.
This wasn’t the only time Bruno was a part of winning the regular season title. Just this year the Hawks secured the CAA Regular Season Title, which sent them to the semi-finals and ultimately the championship. Bruno said what gets them so far each year is the expectation, “We train all year with that in mind and obviously the end goal is to win every single year.” Despite the loss in the championship game it still meant a lot to Bruno to lead her team there. She added that the expectation is what pushes them all.
Bruno shared that her teammates have pushed her and influenced her with their competitive nature. As competitors, they are constantly pushing each other on and off the field, even in practice, and that’s what translates onto the field.
As Bruno looked back on the many people who made an impact in her career at Monmouth, she made sure to highlight her coaches Krissy Turner, Monmouth women’s soccer Head Coach from 1998-2021 and current Head Coach Kylee Flynn, as well as two former captains, that have served as role models, Lauren Karabin and Sarina Jones. Bruno said that her teammates have taught her so much. As a freshman she learned from her older teammates and now as a graduate student she is able to be that leader for the freshman. With that being said, Bruno has also taken things away from her younger teammates. Bruno explained, “This year, some of my younger teammates have reintroduced a love for the game to me and shown me what it’s like to be a freshman again and feeling excited for the future…that’s something I am going to remember as I advance my career.”
Bruno hopes to continue her soccer career and shared, “I don’t feel ready, I don’t feel done. Especially after that ending of our CAA Championship game I definitely have a lot more I want to give to the sport if the opportunity presents itself.”
