Soon enough, sprinting around the soccer fields and scoring goals will have to come to an end. Every college athlete has to eventually stop playing and trade in their shoes.

The University of Dayton women's soccer team has had a dream season. Now that they are entering the tournament phase, however, it could come to an end with each new game.

For senior Lauren MacCormick, soccer is not all that will be finishing soon. The co-captain of the team will be ending her academic career December. MacCormick, a pre-medical major from Cincinnati, is graduating a semester early and hoping to do some volunteer work before beginning medical school in the fall.

She made a decision that most students would not be ready for at all: leaving college before one has to show a maturity that many college students haven't developed. For MacCormick, it just made sense.

"It was just a situation of having enough credits," she said. "I was here this summer, so it kind of made sense, and I wanted to work a little bit before grad school."

MacCormick is not yet sure where she will be attending medical school, and is hoping to find that out soon so that she can do her volunteering.

She developed a passion for volunteer work as a result of her parents, in particular her dad. Her father is part native American, so MacCormick has grown up with a soft spot for minorities and underprivileged people.

"Part of that is just respecting where you've come from and wanting to give back and remembering that," she said.

If all goes according to plan, MacCormick will graduate in December and then head to Africa in order to do something along the lines of AIDS or other infectious disease relief.

Due to her situation with medical school, MacCormick is still not sure where or when exactly she will be going. She said a couple of the programs she looked at were in Ghana or South Africa, so those are possibilities. However things play out, she believes she is ready for the transition.

"I think it's going to be sad, but I'm really excited for this next step and a medical career," she said. "I think that kind of balances it out just being excited for the next step, but I'm definitely going to miss it."

Soccer has been very good to MacCormick while at UD, but it has also kept her busy and unable to spend time on things that she would like to spend more time on. While she will miss soccer, she is excited to get into the others things she loves, and is planning on staying active.

"I'm hoping to do possibly marathons or something to take the place and still be active," she said. "I don't think it will be the same, but, you know, [there will be] new things."

A cross country runner in high school MacCormick said she has not yet gotten the opportunity to run the longer distances in racing, but thinks it will be a great way to stay in shape.

One of the biggest things that she has taken away from soccer is the team aspect of the game. As captain having to keep the team together and motivating teammates has been the greatest experience.

"Understanding the group situation and getting along with people and motivating people," she said of her soccer experience this year. "That's been the main thing is understanding how important it is that we're all on the same page.

MacCormick also is grateful for her time as a student at UD and will miss it. Even as an athlete she feels she got to experience just what every other person at UD talks about nonstop: the community.

"I've just really loved the good athletics and good academic programs," she said. "But also the community and the students, I think everyone really loves, and I'm the same, I've just enjoyed being a part of it the last four years."

She developed a passion for volunteer work as a result of her parents, in particular her dad. Her father is part native American, so MacCormick has grown up with a soft spot for minorities and underprivileged people.

"Part of that is just respecting where you've come from and wanting to give back and remembering that," she said.

If all goes according to plan, MacCormick will graduate in December and then head to Africa in order to do something along the lines of AIDS or other infectious disease relief.

Due to her situation with medical school, MacCormick is still not sure where or when exactly she will be going. She said a couple of the programs she looked at were in Ghana or South Africa, so those are possibilities. However things play out, she believes she is ready for the transition.

"I think it's going to be sad, but I'm really excited for this next step and a medical career," she said. "I think that kind of balances it out just being excited for the next step, but I'm definitely going to miss it."

Soccer has been very good to MacCormick while at UD, but it has also kept her busy and unable to spend time on things that she would like to spend more time on. While she will miss soccer, she is excited to get into the other things she loves and is planning on staying active.

"I'm hoping to do possibly marathons or something to take the place and still be active," she said. "I don't think it will be the same, but, you know, [there will be] new things."

A cross country runner in high school MacCormick said she has not yet gotten the opportunity to run the longer distances in racing, but thinks it will be a great way to stay in shape.

One of the biggest things that she has taken away from soccer is the team aspect of the game. As captain having to keep the team together and motivating teammates has been the greatest experience.

"Understanding the group situation and getting along with people and motivating people," she said of her soccer experience this year. "The main thing is understanding how important it is that we're all on the same page."

MacCormick also is grateful for her time as a student at UD and will miss it. Even as an athlete she feels she got to experience just what every other person at UD talks about nonstop: the community.

"I've just really loved the good athletics and good academic programs," she said. "But also the community and the students, I think everyone really loves, and I'm the same. I've just enjoyed being a part of it the last four years."