With under 10 minutes remaining in Troy soccer’s road match against Coastal Carolina, things were looking bleak. The Trojans were deadlocked in a 0-0 match and were still searching for their first conference win.
However, Jiselle Daniels took matters into her own hands. On her birthday, she powered a shot into the net to give Troy a 1-0 win over the Chanticleers.
“It was the cherry on top, because we’ve been wanting a win,” Daniels said. “I’m used to scoring goals and I hadn’t scored a goal in eight games, and that was hard for me personally.
“On my birthday, it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.”
The moment marked a long journey back for Daniels, who missed all of last season and the beginning of this one with injuries. The forward said her coaches and teammates helped her through the long recovery process.
“When Kayla Saager was here, she was my inspiration,” Daniels said. “I knew she’s been through a lot so I’m good, and I’m going to bounce back from this.
“Everybody on the team was very supportive all the way.”
Although there were some challenges along the way, Daniels said she woke up every day determined to get back on the field.
“There was a lot that I learned about myself through the process,” Daniels said. “I haven’t played in a game since 2022, so that was even harder than the recovery.
“It was just a lot – getting back into shape, figuring out the chemistry with the team and figuring out my own touch and shooting.”
According to the redshirt junior, the goal against Coastal Carolina was the culmination of a stretch where she started to get back into the swing of things.
“The last three games have been really good for me mentally,” Daniels said. “I haven’t been beating myself up and I’ve been getting back into my groove.”
The Burlington, New Jersey, native transferred to Troy from St. Joseph’s in 2022. As a sophomore for the Hawks, Daniels started all 20 matches and led the team with four assists.
She is no stranger to clutch goals – she said her favorite was in the state championship when she was at Burlington Township High School.
“In my senior year, we were down 3-0 at halftime in the state championship,” Daniels said. “We came back and won 4-3, and I scored the winner in overtime.
“That was probably the best moment of my life.”
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