When Val Patout and Marie Resweber graduated from Catholic High and were looking to continue playing soccer in college, both were looking for the same thing.

Namely, a chance to start a program.

“I wanted to get in on the ground floor and help start a program,” said Patout. “At Catholic High, we were part of a team that had come into a program that was already going strong and we just continued that tradition.

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“But the chance to start a program and help build it from the beginning was something that appealed to me.”

Resweber had the same feeling of wanting to help start a program.

“It was different from playing at Catholic High,” said Resweber. “It was a chance to get in on the beginning.”

So the two South Louisiana girls packed up their belongings and headed to the frozen North, settling in at Holy Cross College in Notre Dame, Indiana.

It turned out to be the best decision either one could have made.

“I’m so glad that I came here,” said Resweber.

Holy Cross was starting a women’s soccer program and looking for players, and the two CHS grads fit right in with what the Saints were looking for. It also gave both Patout and Resweber the opportunity to travel to a different area of the country to continue their education.

“This was my chance to get in on the ground floor of a program,” said Patout.

Both took the opportunity and ran with it, so to speak.

The duo got the chance to play right away and were a big part of the soccer program as Holy Cross finished the year with a 1-7 record.

And while there was only one win this year for the Saints, that win turned out to be important in one way as Patout scored three goals in a 4-3 victory over Andrews University Oct. 5.

“I thought that it was an awesome year,” said Patout, who’s studying to become an educator and maybe get into coaching. “We’re building a program here and there will be better days to come.”

Since coming to the Saints, Patout, who played more of a defensive role at Catholic High, moved to offense and has been playing a striker role for Holy Cross while Resweber has been shoring up the defense.

Both have managed to succeed in college while combining athletics and academics.

“It wasn’t too hard making the adjustment,” said Patout. “The team here is small, just like at Catholic High, and the college is small also. Everybody knows everybody on campus and we all look out for each other.”

While Patout moved to offense for her freshman year, Resweber stayed on defense.

“I played just about every minute of every game,” said Resweber. “Playing at Catholic High was good training so I came in prepared to play.”

Moving from defense to offense didn’t pose much of a problem for Patout.

“It took a little while to learn the offense,” said Patout. “But I was hoping to make a move to offense and I got to play on offense. I moved to forward and playing right striker.”

Both former CHS players know instinctively that they made the right choice to go to Holy Cross, both for the academics and for the chance to make a difference in starting a new program.

Next year the program will have a new coach and both are looking forward to playing for him and for the chance to compete for a conference title and for the chance to become leaders in the new program.

“I’m looking forward to continuing the varsity program and the new recruits coming in and the new coach,” said Resweber.

“I want to step up as a leader and hopefully get the captain’s spot one day,” added Patout.