Emma Durain could have found satisfaction with the status quo. She could have been happy dominating the local recreation soccer scene, scoring goals at a pinball-like rate. But Durain wanted more for herself and her game. And as frequent and as much fun as the multi-goal performances were, there was almost an empty quality to them because they came in an environment and against competition that were laid-back.

“It was a way to play soccer, but it wasn’t the high level I was looking for,” Durain said. “If I was going to commit the time to it, I want it to be worth my while. I didn’t want it to be something where it was just, ‘Oh, we’re just there for fun or just to hang out,’ but we’re there to win games and become better soccer players.”

At the urging of a friend, Durain tried out and earned a spot with Athenians SC, the city’s semi-pro women’s team. It has been a perfect match.

The Athenians (11-1) play SC Blue Heat (4-0-2) in the United Women’s Soccer national semifinals at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the Round Rock Multipurpose Sports Complex. Blue Heat won the UWS title in 2016 and was runner-up in 2017.
In the other semifinal, Connecticut Fusion (7-2-3) faces Midwest United (11-0-1) at 6 p.m. The championship match is at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Athenians SC is riding a nine-match winning streak, including a 1-0 decision last Sunday vs. Lone Star Republic in the UWS Southwest Conference final. Lone Star Republic handed the Athenians their lone loss, a 6-0 setback on May 29.

“I had the same mindset in college as I do now,” said Durain, who guided Dallas Baptist to three conference titles and four NCAA tournament appearances. “I’m going to go out and compete; I’m going to give 100 percent of my effort. I want to win. I want our team to win the national championship.”

A Houston native, Durain has done her part — especially lately. She has scored the game-winning goal in two of her team’s past three games, including a 25-yard blast that was the difference in a 2-1 win vs. Side FC 92 in the conference semifinals on July 17.

The possibility for such moments is what fueled Durain to seek an opportunity to play vs. stiffer competition. She had planned to do in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic canceled the season. She spent the following months kicking around a soccer ball at home or at a tennis court to keep her skills sharp, then when restrictions were lifted and the UWS season began, she balanced a job as an educator and coach with being an athlete. The Athenians practiced three times during the evening and played their games on the weekend.

“It’s been a little difficult,” said Durain, a midfielder/forward who played two semi-pro seasons while attending college in Dallas. “It was a very intense schedule. It was work, eat, practice, sleep, repeat. I was like, ‘I know this was a big commitment. Am I ready for that?’ I wanted a challenge.”

The biggest task Durain faced was playing for a club with a vision of one day competing in big-time professional soccer. Megan Wilcox, a friend who played on the 2019 Athenians, informed Durain of the expectations.

“She told me the players were good, and that they played at high level,” Durain said. “That piqued my interest.”
Durain has been instrumental for the Athenians, who this season established a club record for wins in a season and earned a postseason berth for the first time with two regular-season contests remaining.

In the team’s two previous seasons, it missed the playoffs by the narrowest of margins. In 2017, the Athenians had to forfeit a win over a player’s eligibility paperwork, a decision that cost it a playoff spot. In 2019, they lost to FC Austin Elite 3-1 in the regular-season finale with playoff positioning on the line.

This year’s breakthrough wasn’t lost on some of the franchise’s founding members.

Over the hump
From a distance, and whenever there is free time in an otherwise busy schedule, Treena Ferguson has found herself locked in on a computer screen, stuck between the live action and a little bit of nostalgia.

Ferguson was a member of Athenians SC’s inaugural team in 2017, left to play in Tucson, Ariz., when the local semi-pro women’s soccer team didn’t play during the 2018 season, returned to the Alamo City to play in 2019, and after COVID-19 shut things down a year ago, she is now living and playing in Utah.

And although plenty has changed, from the team’s ownership, to the coaching staff, to roster and even the opponents, the lasting memories from a groundbreaking period remain.

Ferguson is no longer an Athenian, but in a way she is.

“I’m not on the team this year, so I don’t feel like I physically contributed, but obviously my spirit (is there),” Ferguson said. “I’m excited that they get to go and play on that level, and that all the hard work they put in over the years is paying off. I’m just glad to be a part of it. I hope they win it all.”

Churchill graduate Hannah Player, who also was on the 2017 squad with Ferguson, concurs. Player remembers driving from Baylor University in Waco to San Antonio for a tryout, looking to help the Athenians “make a name for ourselves.” Now she’s contemplating making the drive to central Texas to see her former team can claim the ultimate prize.

“I still follow along and wish them luck,” said Player, a high school teacher and coach in Waco. “I’m excited to see what they’ll do.”

terrence@terrencesports.com
Twitter: @sa_terrence1