By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- She was a three-sport athlete in high school before spending the 2021-22 academic year at Syracuse University.
Jenna Sweeney (Wilmington, Mass.) did not take part in any sports that year at Syracuse, concentrating solely on her criminal justice major.
Being without sports, though, after serving as a soccer, basketball and softball captain while at Wilmington High School left Sweeney with a bit of an empty feeling.
"I missed it a lot," said Sweeney. "It was hard. I always went right from soccer into basketball into softball and then in the summer would train for soccer.
"Once I got to Syracuse, it was weird. I didn't have that structure, that normalcy I knew while playing sports year round."
So after one year at Syracuse, Sweeney decided to transfer closer to home in order to play soccer.
She had looked at Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference schools while in high school and zeroed in on Bridgewater State University, where a friend from home was attending.
Sweeney transferred to BSU in the fall 2022 semester, tried out for the women's soccer team and has been a fixture in the program ever since.
The center midfielder has appeared in all 64 games from 2022-25, starting 53, and is a captain as a senior this fall.
Sweeney, who has played a defensive role, is also the Bears' second-leading point producer with 10 this season and is tied for second with four goals. She had scored a total of four goals in the previous three years.
Syracuse was the best school that Sweeney was accepted to out of Wilmington and she was looking for a "big school experience'' for academics after being at a smaller high school.
But playing soccer was something she missed, and the move to BSU was made.
"I wasn't liking (Syracuse) without sports," said Sweeney, who was a three-sport captain in high school.
She contacted BSU coach Yasmina Carvalho and tried out for the Bears in '22, made the team and started 10 of 18 games that first season.
"It was nerve wracking," said Sweeney. "I didn't know what to expect from college soccer. I was nervous in preseason and tryouts.
"Coach Yaz gave me a lot of confidence. She knew the player that I was and it gave me confidence that I still had it after that year off."
Sweeney was part of the regular rotation right away, playing the defensive role in the midfield.
"It was a good learning curve to adapt to the college soccer level," she said. "I learned a lot. Then the difference from my freshman year to sophomore year was noticeable. I learned so much."
Sweeney contributed a goal and an assist as a first-year player and two goals in 2023, making the All-Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference second team that year.
Last season, when the Bears made it to the NCAA Division III tournament for the first time in 11 years, Sweeney had a goal and three assists.
She made the All-MASCAC first team, helping the Bears win the conference regular-season and tournament titles.
"That was really cool and an exciting experience," said Sweeney of making it to the NCAAs. "It was cool to be at that level. It was really rewarding to go to the tournament."
BSU is off to a 3-0 start in the MASCAC this season heading into a Saturday afternoon home game against Westfield State University, a rematch of the MASCAC final.
Sweeney has increased her offensive production and now has eight goals and six assists in her career.
"I used to be more just defense," said Sweeney, "but I've noticed myself being more offensive this year."
Sweeney has been a steady player since joining the program in '22, filling a key spot all four seasons.
"Right away with her vision, her physicality and her technical ability, we knew she'd be a solid foundation for us in the middle of the field," said Carvalho. "She's just gotten better and better every single year, which is cool to see, both her growth in soccer and mentally.
"There's a safety in having her there four years. Not only are you solid in her occupying that space, but the people that play under her can learn from her. I see a lot of our first years learning from her and duplicating what she does.
"She's one of our most solid defenders. She's like a brick wall trying to beat her one v. one. Offensively, she's not going to lose the ball."
There are eight regular-season games left in Sweeney's career, and then the postseason tourney will follow.
Sweeney is looking forward to savoring everything that happens in the final weeks.
"I really just want to finish out and enjoy my teammates, enjoy every practice, every lift, everything I do with the team," said Sweeney. "I don't want to take it for granted.
"It's my last year. I've been playing soccer for over 15 years. It's bittersweet. I want to end on the best note we can. There's so much talent, so much good soccer on this team."
Sweeney will graduate next May after majoring in criminal justice with a minor in political science.
She will be leaving BSU with a degree and also having a four-year soccer career on her resume after starting out college without sports.
Sweeney is so happy that she was able to get back into soccer after being away from athletics that year at Syracuse.
"That would have definitely been tough," said Sweeney of what it would have been like to have gone through four years minus sports. "I only knew myself as an athlete throughout high school. At Syracuse, I felt kind of lost.
"I feel like I'd be a different person (without sports). I found my way at Bridgewater with soccer. My friends are from soccer. I have classes with some of my teammates and met other friends through soccer.
"I can't imagine what it would be like if I was still at Syracuse. I definitely would not be the person I am today."