Seven games and over 775 minutes — that’s how long junior goalkeeper Laurel Ivory played without conceding a goal before a heroic Boston College shot ended her streak Sunday. In her three years at Virginia, the junior is already fourth all-time in shutouts and fifth all-time in victories. Ivory is impressive not only in her ability to produce clean sheets, but also in the intensity she brings to every match.
Her talent on the field is unquestionable, and her goals in the sport extend far beyond excelling at the collegiate level. The irony is hard to miss. Ivory is excellent at the No. 1 position, denying goal attempts at every opportunity, and yet the junior is chasing the biggest goal of all — playing for the U.S. Women’s National Team.
For many athletes, being called up to play on the national team is a dream. Ivory’s first call to camp came when she was just 13 years old. After serving on the U-14 squad and playing with some of the best young athletes in the country, Ivory didn’t receive another call for the next year and a half.
Then, when she was 15, Ivory was called up to play on the U-17 national team in preparation for the upcoming World Cup in Jordan. Current Virginia players — sophomore midfielder Alexa Spaanstra and junior midfielder Sydney Zandi — were also a part of the roster that played in the 2016 tournament. Despite the team’s early departure after losing two of three matches in the group stage, Ivory’s first World Cup was one of many learning experiences in her soccer career.
Ivory was called up repeatedly after playing on the U-17 team, a frequent name on U-20 rosters. She played on the U-20 team alongside senior defender Zoe Morse, junior midfielder Taryn Torres and Spaanstra, representing the United States in the 2018 World Cup in France.
Competing with the top soccer players in the world, Ivory quickly learned how important it is to get all the little things right in order to succeed at the highest level.
“It’s an environment that pushes you to be better than you already are,” Ivory said. “It demands the best out of you in every little thing, whether it be a meeting, a meal, a training or just talking with a coach or something like that. It’s an extremely professional environment, and you learn how to carry yourself as a professional very quickly.”
Ivory committed to Virginia during her freshman year of high school. Growing up in Florida but with family ties in the Northeast, she realized it was the perfect location between Miami and Massachusetts. The weather, the campus and the academic prestige of the University attracted Ivory as well, but the deciding factor was Coach Steve Swanson.
“Just the history of the program and being under Steve [Swanson] was huge for me,” Ivory said.
It is no secret that Swanson has been the key to Virginia’s success, most notably leading the team to 14 consecutive NCAA Tournament Round of 16 appearances in his 19 years at the helm of Virginia’s program. His time serving as the USWNT assistant coach also means he understands a lot of his players’ ambitions to play at the next level after college.
“You do what he says and you’re doing the right thing,” Ivory said about Swanson. “I trust him. I have 100 percent trust in his plans for my career and his opinions about my career and what I should be doing.”
Ivory was a starter in her first year at Virginia — she was just 17 years old as she graduated high school a year early. Ivory made an immediate impact, displaying maturity uncharacteristic of a player her age.
“I don’t think that would have happened had she not been as mature,” Swanson said. “She’s always been a mature student-athlete, and I think the minute she came here you could see this real determined, motivated and talented athlete that [was going to try] to take the team and try to take her game to another level and I think that’s been something that’s happened.”
Longtime friend and teammate Zoe Morse also spoke to Ivory’s ability to take charge between the posts as soon as she came to Virginia.
“I think who she is, she just came in and was an instant leader,” Morse said. “As a first-year, a 17-year-old at that, she came on and led the team from behind, and she’s been doing it ever since.”
In 2018, Ivory had to navigate between school and national team commitments. She was only taking nine credits and was absent from Grounds every couple of weeks for 10 to 12 days at a time in order to train and prepare for the FIFA U-20 World Cup in France. Missing school was difficult, but Ivory acknowledged how accommodating her professors have been and understanding of her ambitions in soccer.
“If you find the right professors and you just get the job done and do what you need to do and keep up your grades and just communicate, they’re very flexible when it comes to things like that,” Ivory said.
Ivory’s work ethic is remarkable not only in school, but also in her performance on the field. This summer, she trained in Seattle with Ben Dragavon, an assistant coach to the U-23 Seattle Sounders men’s team and former coach of World Cup champion and two-time Olympic gold-medalist Hope Solo. Ivory also spent time training with the Seattle Sounders Women, a summer league team that current USWNT players Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan and Rose Lavelle all played on earlier in their careers. Ivory saw it as an opportunity to accelerate her development heading into her third year at Virginia.
“I wanted to push myself this season because I knew we had the potential to do something really big and I’ve been working harder than I’ve ever worked,” Ivory said.
Ivory plans to enter the National Women’s Soccer League draft following college. The league, which currently has nine teams, has grown tremendously in recent years and looks to expand to Louisville in 2020, which will be the league’s fourth expansion team since its establishment in 2013. The USWNT’s iconic performance in the World Cup in France this summer certainly increased NWSL viewership and strengthened its fanbase.
Playing in the NWSL is the next step in Ivory’s career, and while she admits she will be happy wherever she ends up, Portland is a top contender. USWNT members Tobin Heath, Lindsey Horan, Adrianna Franch and former Virginia star Emily Sonnett are all players on the Portland Thorns, who recently lost the NWSL Semifinal to the Chicago Red Stars.
“I’ve been to a couple of their games and the atmosphere there is unbelievable,” Ivory said. “[They have] the best fans, and it was really cool to be a part of that.”
She added that Portland is also the city with the best coffee, an important consideration in her choice of where to live.
When asked about what it takes to make a national team roster and being the best in the world, Ivory said that what sets apart the three world champion goalkeepers on the USWNT from other NWSL keepers is their capacity to serve as an extra field player in addition to being a goalie.
“The way that they manage a game and the way that they can play out of the back and handle the pressure is [the best in the world],” Ivory said. “And just their confidence and the way they carry themselves. I think all three of them are extremely professional.”
She recalled this in an experience training with Alyssa Naher, the starting goalkeeper for the USWNT.
“[Naher] was just dialed in, 100 percent,” Ivory said. “It was really cool to see and [I was] just picking apart everything that she was doing just so I could do the same exact thing and just try to take in as much as I could from her.”
As she continues on her path to a professional career, one thing is clear — Ivory has what it takes to compete at the next level. Swanson has worked with her and other players who aspire to play after college, and sees Ivory as someone who is relentless in pursuit of her goals. The rest of her college career will undoubtedly bring more success as she continues to shut out opponents between the posts and further develop her game.
“I think the sky’s the limit for her,” Swanson said. “She’s still growing and she’s humble, which I think is very important, and she’s still learning, but that’s a good thing. We’re excited for her and happy she’s here at Virginia.”
For now, Ivory is focused on leading No. 1 Virginia to its first-ever national championship.
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