FULTON, Mo.—The third inductee into the 2014 William Woods Hall of Fame, is former women's soccer player and career leader in goals, Erin Jewell-Zamora.

A native of Kelso, Washington, Erin really didn't know what to expect when coming to Fulton, Mo., her freshman year, but with the bonds she had with her teammates, she wouldn't have picked anywhere else.

"Coming from a small town in Washington, I was unsure what to expect my first season," said Jewell-Zamora. "When I arrived at campus, I found that most of the soccer team members were also from different states and a few were even from different countries. This gave us all an instant bond, however, there were times I would be homesick, but I always found comfort in friends and teammates who were going through similar experiences," she added.

Erin wore the Owls uniform from 1999 to 2002 and is the first women's soccer player to get into the WWU Hall of Fame, with a very prestigious resume.

On the field, she closed out with 70 goals, the most in women's soccer history, while also adding 28 assists (2^nd all-time), and 144 points (3^rd all-time). The team compiled a record of 56-21-2, an American Midwest Conference regular season title (1999) and two tournament championships (1999, 2001).   

"I am very proud of my achievements at William Woods," said Jewell-Zamora. "Those numbers are a reflection of digging deep on the field. They are a result of training through the summer when I would rather be hanging with my Pacific Northwest friends and family," she added. "Also, I had to overcome physical and mental obstacles, as I played through sprained ankles, extreme heat and against competitors from larger schools with more established programs."

One would think that the 1999 or 2001 season would be one of the memorable ones for her or any player, but Erin had another season in mind where not winning a title sticks out the most.

"My sophomore year was my most memorable by far, I have never played on a team with so much heart and dedication as I did that year. We were led by a group of inspiring seniors who had extremely high expectations for us and we accomplished things that had never been expected at WWU," she added.

"Our season ended in the finals of the conference tournament against McKendree, though it was a disappointment not to make regionals, our loss wasn't what defined the game, what defines my time at WWU in four years, is we played with heart each and every season," said Jewell-Zamora.

Other accolades for Erin include being a two-time AMC Most Valuable Player winner (2001, 2002), a four-time all-AMC first team honoree, a two-time NAIA All-Region V first team winner (2000, 2001), NAIA honorable mention all-American (2001), a two-time academic all-AMC honoree, an NAIA Scholar-Athlete (2001) and was a recipient of the Helen
Stephens award.

Erin feels lucky to have played next to stellar players that helped her achieve the 70 goal mark. "We played and trained hard every game," said Jewell-Zamora. "I was lucky to work alongside some great strikers in Meghan Fowler, Summer Manchester and Sarah Moranville, all of whom could read where I would be on the field and how to get me the ball when open," she added.

Now residing in Seattle, Washington, Erin is married now with two children and works at an elementary school as a first grade teacher. The itch to play soccer is still there, as she plays every Friday night on a coed outdoor team.