Molly Pistorius: The Light of Women’s Soccer

Fourth-year forward Molly Pistorius returned to her roots in Chicago after transferring to the Loyola’s women’s soccer team for her final year of eligibility. 

Pistorius transferred from Northern Michigan University (NMU) along with her head coach Jon Sandoval this year, but she’s no stranger to the big city. 

Pistorius grew up close to Chicago in Park Ridge, Ill. When she was first searching for colleges, she knew she didn’t want to stay close to home. Now coming back, she loves it, and said she had an adequate amount of time being far from home and loves going downtown for classes.

“I had the time away from home, but being here for my last year has been really nice,” Pistorius said. 

In her years at Main South High School, Pistorius was also leading her team by example. She earned All-State her fourth year, was named Body Armor MVP, broke the single-scoring record in her final year and was the head captain of her team for the last two seasons. 

Pistorius is no stranger to awards. At NMU, Pistorius also led the team in a plethora of awards and achievements. Spanning through her three years, she was named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Freshman of the Year, GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year, United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team selection and set an NMU program record for single-season shots on goal.

Pistorius started soccer at a young age and said she was pretty good, so she decided to stick with it. Her siblings and family encourage her now and are there to cheer her on at the games, which she said has made the transition to Loyola easier. 

A key trait about Pistorius is her ability to be a team player. What keeps her passionate about the sport even after playing for so long are her teammates, she said. These are the people Pistorius said she plays for because she knows they all want to reach the same goals and push one another. 

Head coach Jon Sandoval said she’s someone who looks out for the team and wants the best for all of them. 

“She’s driven by the collective goals,” Sandoval said. “[Pistorius] wants to advance the group. [she] wants to win championships.”

On the pitch, Pistorius dominates. So far this season, she has played 961 minutes and contributed to four points, with two of those being her goals. 

Sandoval said Pistorius is a very versatile player which allows the Ramblers to be better offensively.

“She adds a different element to our ability to score and our ability to attack in different ways,” Sandoval said. “She’s played in so many different roles.” 

Pistorius is also a hard worker, according to Sandoval. He said how she’s someone with a great energy who shows up every day and puts her all into everything, noting her can-do attitude. 

Pistorius isn’t just strong on the field, but she’s a joy off the field as well, Sandoval said, commenting on how funny she is. 

“She’s a warm kid to be around,” Sandoval said. “She’s really good at reading the room. She’s emotionally intelligent.”

Though she just came to the team, Pistorius is someone who paves the path by setting a path for others to follow. She doesn’t try to be overbearing with her leadership. 

Pistorius claims she is someone who challenges herself. She said coming to Loyola was a difficult choice, but after putting herself out there and meeting so many new people Pistorius said she’s grown. 

“It was a hard decision, but I thought I would join as a person, player, and student,” Pistorius said. “I really think I have grown.”

The team made sure to welcome her, and Pistorius felt their open arms. The girls took a weekend away and rented a house in Bristol, Ill., which Pistorius said really bonded them. It was a moment to not think about soccer and to just be with one another. 

“That was something that helped me open up,” Pistorius said. 

Pistorius already feels connected to the team, which is important on and off the pitch. 

In terms of life outside soccer, Pistorius is majoring in marketing. She is also still working on pushing herself as a student. 

“A degree from here means a lot more,” Pistorius said, as compared to her last school.  

She’s not sure what she wants to do post-graduation, but something in sports marketing has piqued her interest. As her short time at Loyola already comes to a close, Pistorius looks forward to possibly keeping sports in her life.