While undersized, Ashley Rauch has always been ‘skillful with the ball’

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Ashley Rauch was one of St. James Football Club Virginia’s smallest players. Her parents, Stewart and Kelsey, said their daughter was overlooked because of her size.

But in 10 years with FC Virginia (2011-21), her improvement was apparent. Rauch became a five-time Development Academy weekly standout. She played in high-level tournaments for organizations like American Youth Soccer and the U.S. Soccer Development Academy. The events garnered the attention of college scouts, helping Rauch showcase her skills.

“Ashley stood out on the field with her ability to create goal scoring chances for herself and others,” said Bobby Puppione, FC Virginia’s Girls Academy Director. “She was always very skillful with the ball, hard working without the ball, and was committed to both attacking and defending.”

Rauch worked her way from being undersized in her youth career to becoming a regular starter for Syracuse. She suffered a season-ending foot injury her freshman year, and came back strong in 2022, tallying two goals and two assists as a redshirt freshman. Now, she’s started in each of SU’s first 11 games in 2023, with aspirations of making an impact in the nation’s top women’s soccer conference.

“Once I knew I wanted to play college soccer, ACC is known as the best conference,” Rauch said. “So I knew that obviously that was what I was going to strive for.”

Her club soccer career began at the age of 8 with the Southwestern Youth Association (SYA). But Rauch’s coach, Christian Cziommer, moved to FC Virginia after her first year on the team. She followed him to the new squad.

When Rauch started with FC Virginia, she said she didn’t know anyone on the team. She had to adapt to her new surroundings, learning different play styles and developing her soccer IQ.

“It was definitely a good experience and it helped me a lot,” Rauch said. “Because that’s what you do like you see in college, but growing up that was definitely something that I had to adapt to, like playing with different girls every year.”

One of Rauch’s top moments in youth soccer came in May 2018 while playing at the DA Cup. Rauch received the ball at midfield and dribbled past five defenders, bursting toward the net. As the goalie lunged forward, she sent a rolling, right-footed shot that trickled in for a goal. Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, voted the goal as the best play of the tournament.

And finally, watch @FC_Virginia's Ashley Rauch take matters into her own hands, from the center circle to the back of the :goal_net:! pic.twitter.com/jrNF5EXpAK

— Development Academy (@ussoccer_da) May 24, 2018

“One of Ashley’s best characteristics is her ability with the ball. She is skillful and able to make good decisions and solve problems when under pressure,” Puppione said.

Once she arrived at SU, Rauch played both midfielder and forward. Rauch said she isn’t physical, instead using her soccer IQ to focus on positioning and connecting with teammates. Syracuse head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams said Rauch is a player who can attack off the dribble and set up teammates with her distribution.

Rauch only played three games due to a midfoot sprain her freshman year. Sitting on the bench with a boot, Rauch observed the difference in intensity and physicality between the club and the college levels. The injury gave her a better understanding of her teammates’ playstyle and Adams’ tactics.

“It was a surreal moment being able to just step on the field to help the team in that aspect, but watching from the sideline was actually very helpful.” Rauch said.

Rauch returned to the team in 2022. She started in 15 of 17 games, helping the Orange achieve their best performance since joining the ACC.

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“Getting injured at Syracuse three games into her first year was challenging,” Stewart and Kelsey said. “But it only increased her desire to get back in the field and contribute to the team.”

In her first full season, Rauch displayed her ability to find space and finish in the attacking third. Against Merrimack on Sept. 4, 2022, Rauch was first to a cross from former Syracuse player Koby Commandant, registering her first goal of the season. The second goal came in a 3-1 triumph over Miami three weeks later. Rauch found space while rushing toward the 18-yard box, receiving a through ball from Chelsea Domond, before scoring on a lob finish.

In 2023, Rauch has continued her strong offensive play. Rauch scored the first goal of the game on Aug. 27 in a 2-1 win over Binghamton. In the eighth minute, she received a pass from Erin Flurey and chipped the ball that went in the right side of the goal to give the Orange a 1-0 lead.

“Ashley is really good in space,” Adams said after Syracuse defeated Binghamton. “I feel like we can play her in multiple roles and she’s definitely an x-factor for us.”