Rachel Van Poppelen: Contributing in the Clutch
11/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
By Alex Greer, MSU Athletic Communications Student Assistant
Rachel Van Poppelen has been playing the sport she loves competitively since the age of four, but this season is her last on the pitch and it has left her with enough memories to last a lifetime.
The redshirt junior from West Bloomfield, Michigan, will forego her senior season to graduate in May with a degree in Special Education.
Prior to enrolling at Michigan State, Van Poppelen starred at Walled Lake Northern High School where she led the Knights to division championships during her sophomore and junior seasons. She was selected to the All-Regional Team as a junior and also named All-State Honorable Mention as a sophomore. Having played all four years of high school with the varsity squad, she proved her value and leadership to the program and was rewarded by being named team captain during her senior season.
When associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Tammy Farnum took her first scouting trip to watch Van Poppelen play, she was not provided with a team roster, leaving her to guess which player she was. Farnum was quickly able to identify Van Poppelen by her stand-out play on both sides of the ball.
"She stuck out to me right away because she made a mark in every single play on offense and defense," said Farnum. "She was a big time player for them, and she captured my attention on her own."
Van Poppelen contributes much of the success she has experienced throughout her playing career to her parents' support.
"My dad has definitely been one of my biggest influences," she explained. "My mom has been my biggest cheerleader, but my dad has also been my biggest critic."
She also explained that her father, Vincent, played a major role in her commitment to Michigan State.
"My dad really wanted me to play in the Big Ten, and I thought it was really cool," Van Poppelen said. "I couldn't believe they actually wanted me to come and play for them. I didn't really have any interest in playing anywhere else."
A product of the Vardar Michigan soccer club, Van Poppelen came to Michigan State already having formed chemistry playing alongside sophomore midfielder Kelli Timar during a stretch where they finished as the runners-up to the Michigan Hawks for the state cup five years in a row. As it would turn out, many of their opponents in those games would eventually become their college teammates.
During her time at Michigan State, Van Poppelen has amassed 15 points from five goals and five assists while appearing in 50 games. Two of those goals were game-winners, and that does not include her personal favorite that came against Indiana at DeMartin Stadium on Oct. 20, 2013.
After going down 1-0 to the Hoosiers in the 36th minute, Megan Marsack dribbled down the field and passed it to Van Poppelen who connected from 10 yards out to even the score just 10 seconds after the Hoosiers strike. The Spartans would eventually go on to lose that game in overtime, but the goal remains her fondest memory donning the green and white.
"She has had big time moments simply with grit, intensity, and getting in the game and doing whatever she had to do for her teammates," said Farnum. "It's her ability to put the ball in under pressure."
Van Poppelen has accomplished a lot on the field during her career, but what Farnum says she will miss most is her personality.
"It's the celebrations. Rachel is the first one instantly that goes to the teammate that passed her the ball," she said. "It's the pure joy that she gets out of being a part of this team."
Van Poppelen plans to attend graduate school next year for Applied Behavior Analysis and is considering Michigan State.
