Northwestern has a set play that it goes to frequently.

A player in the midfield plays a through ball down the right side of the field and Sophia Schaffer outruns a defender, squares herself up so she is facing the goal, and launches a shot that usually sails past the goalie.

The opponent knows the play is coming, and the goalie knows the shot is coming, but they just can’t stop it from being successful.

Schaffer has been able to combine her speed and athleticism with her natural soccer instincts to become one of the top soccer players in the area, and the numbers she put up in her junior season at Northwestern have made her the Times News/Lehigh Valley Health Network Player of the Year.

In a year when the defending state champions took their season to the doorstep of another appearance in the state finals, Schaffer was a standout on the offensive side of the ball.

Schaffer’s three seasons on the pitch have been filled with excitement. The highlight was the 2024 season when the Tigers went undefeated during the regular season and breezed their way through the league, district, and state playoffs to win a state championship.

That all happened in Schaffer’s sophomore season, and she played a big role but remembers how happy she was for the seniors on the team.

“I knew they really wanted to win that because we had come close before but just weren’t able to get to the finals. I felt the same way about winning it this year for the seniors on the team because they wanted to go out with another championship,” said Schaffer.

“We came up short, but we can still be proud of what we accomplished. It’s never easy to repeat. Now, I hope that we can get back again when I’m a senior.”

While Schaffer has always been good, she was biding her time behind a group of talented players in front of her. She had the dual role of being called upon to score when she had the opportunity, but also be the player who could spot the open player in front of her and put them in a position to score.

Schaffer had 55 goals and 50 assists for Northwestern in her first two seasons, and finished this past season by more than doubling her goal total by scoring 57 times.

She also handed off 37 assists during the season. She surpassed the 100-goal mark this season, and will climb over 100 assists next season with Northwestern. She also has a very real opportunity to make one of her personal dreams come true.

“Personally, I want to try to get to that 150 mark for goals, and I think it’s definitely reachable. I’m at a good number now, so I should be able to get that next year,” said Schaffer. “I also really want to get to 100 assists. One thing that I pride myself on is being a balanced player, so I don’t want to be too focused on goal scoring or not scoring any goals at all. I think that finding that balance is what makes me as good of a player as I am.

“The bigger goal is to get another team championship again. Going four-for-four in leagues and districts would be an awesome feeling, so would making a deep run in states again.”

As Schaffer has developed on the field, she has been able to take her instincts for the game that she loves and combine that with a growing confidence that she has in herself and her teammates. She also appreciates the fact that the game has not just given her confidence, but has made her more confident off the field, and has helped to bring out her leadership abilities.

“I think that I have really improved at being a leader, that’s been the biggest difference in my play. It’s also given me confidence to take on players one-on-one and be able to get the ball to other players,” said Schaffer. “As a freshman, I couldn’t really take much of a leadership role because it was all so new being at the varsity level. This year especially, I think I did a good job of getting everyone involved in the game and that equated to team success.”

Schaffer is spending her offseason playing club soccer and working on conditioning. She is also waiting for spring to get here so she can compete in track and field where she competes both in individual events and in relay events.

Even with a hectic athletic and academic schedule, Schaffer plays a support role with the fire company where her mom and dad have been active for many years. She still finds time to be with friends and family and spend time outside, which she enjoys.

“I honestly think that being in athletics is helping me prepare for college and working on my time management,” said Schaffer. “It’s a lot to balance, but I think it will make college a little easier in the long run because I will know how to handle my time and fit in all of the things that are important to me.”