Forward Jennifer Osmond currently is second leading scorer for the UNA girls soccer team. In regards to Osmond leading her team to numerous victories, she remembers her time playing the sport in which she is most passionate.

Osmond is one of the eight players on her team who arrived from England. Osmond, alongside her twin sister Julia, were raised in South Hampton, England.

Both were introduced to sports when they were around seven years old playing in the backyard with their father.

Osmond played for two English colleges, earning three caps. One of Osmond’s favorite accomplishments in England was when her team entered a tournament in Denmark as the underdogs and won the entire competition.

By early mid-2009, Jennifer and Julia were recruited by UNA head coach Graham Winkworth to play for the UNA Lions.

“My dream was always to play for an American team,” Osmond said. “And I loved the campus.”

Osmond and her new teammates worked diligently to improve their skill pre-season. With Osmond playing as a forward for UNA and her sister playing defense as a center back, both have contributed to leading their team to many wins.

“It’s nice to have a twin sister playing with you,” Osmond said. “We may butt heads on the field sometimes, but we overall have a mutual understanding.”

Osmond has little experience in regards to severe injuries on her UNA team. A bad casualty she remembers was during freshman year when she received an anterior crucial ligament (ACL) tear when trying to tackle another player on the opposing team. Osmond, not being benched much, does her best to take advantage of the chances she receives to get a score for her team.

“I practice a lot and have good formation, so that may contribute to me being on the field more and scoring a lot”, Osmond said.

Although well acquainted with her American team, Osmond can still see the differences between playing for England and America.

“Well, the adapting to the southern heat, of course, and considering that American soccer seasons are a bit longer, we tend to practice more,” she said.

Majoring in Sports Marketing, Osmond sees herself working in the sports industry; however, she does not predict playing for the national team.

“If I were to play national, it would definitely be England, but the possibilities for playing for a national soccer team are very low in general,” she said.

Osmond continues to keep her leading numbers on the scoreboard and hopes for promising wins with her UNA team.

“I enjoy playing for my team, Osmond says, we are like a family unit.”

The Lions are currently ranked second in the Gulf South Conference Standings.

Osmond and the rest of the Lions soccer team will be back in action Oct. 17 travelling to West Alabama with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.