All her life, Emmie Farber has been the one scoring the goals. Her senior year of high school, she was her soccer team’s captain and earned an all-league selection for her play. Yet as a freshman on Chapman women’s soccer team in 2017, she was miserable. 

“I was a bench player halfway through the season. I didn’t make the travel roster; I didn’t really make any friends,” Farber said. “The game wasn’t fun for me anymore.” 

That’s no longer the case. Now a junior and far removed from warming the bench, Farber led the Panthers in goals last season, earning a first-team all-Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) selection.

“My mom says she can see on the field how much passion I have for the sport,” Farber said. “I love my teammates. I really enjoy my coach, but the main thing is the game for me has always been a big part of my life.” 

After finishing third last season, Farber’s goal is to be the highest scorer among all players in the SCIAC this season. However, Farber said she may have to adjust her playing style, as head coach Courtney Calderon has told her she needs to focus more on getting others involved. 

“This year, my coach wants me scoring goals still, but I’m going to be more of a person who’s assisting,” Farber said. “Other coaches know who I am and they’re going to have their defenders really pressuring me.” 
In addition to becoming this season’s captain and leader on the field, Calderon said Farber has become influential on the sidelines as well. 

“She’s worked hard off the field to make sure everybody’s on the same page,” Calderon said. “A true leader is not just on the field, but off the field, and she’s worked hard for that.”

Farber is excited for the season and what the team could put together. Although the Panthers suffered a 2-0 loss during an Aug. 28 away game at Biola University, their first game of the season, Calderon said it was a good experience to play against a strong team. 

“We executed the things we had a chance to work on, while we need to tighten up a couple of things,” Calderon said. 
The first game action served as an opportunity to observe teammates’ playstyles, Farber said. Despite ten new incoming players, Farber said the team’s chemistry was improved. 

“Off the field, our team chemistry has been a lot better than it’s been in the past,” Farber said. “If we put that together on the field, we could win the whole thing.”