Playing a fifth year of college soccer was a non-negotiable for forward Hannah Curtin. Although, at first, she was unsure of what uniform to play in.
After four years at Dartmouth, Curtin decided the best path for her athletic and professional career was entering the transfer portal and pursuing her master’s degree at the Villanova School of Business.
Although she has only been a Wildcat for two months, Curtin has already made her mark on the Big East. Curtin has received two Big East Weekly Honor Roll accolades and hopes to continue her success all the way to postseason play.
“I wasn’t expecting anything,” Curtin said. “It was kind of great to reap the benefits of some of the hard work the team has been doing over the past few weeks. So, [the honors] is as much of a team effort as it is individual.”
Curtin’s determined spirit and elite skill level led her to score a game-winning goal in not one, but two games for Villanova this season. The first took place on Sunday, Aug. 31, when Curtin scored a goal at the 48th minute that overtook Bucknell. On Sunday, Sept. 7, she scored a goal against Lehigh to also seal the victory for the Wildcats.
“She’s a smart, fast, athletic player, and she’s bringing competitive experience,” women’s soccer head coach Samar Azem said. “I think it’s just the beginning for her. She’s got a couple more months with us. We want to really stretch the season out and see all of our grad transfers really get the best out of their year with us.”
Curtin grew up in Winchester, Massachusetts, and started playing soccer in the first grade. She went on to play for Winchester High School and FC Stars Massachusetts. During her high school career, Curtin also earned a spot on the Second Team Northeast Elite Club National League and Olympic Development Program Region One team.
“I remember my first practice,” Curtin said. “I actually cried before going because I was scared and then right after the practice, I was asking my parents when the next practice was.”
Curtin said she owes a lot of her skills to her FC Stars Coach Jason Dewhurst and Winchester High School Coach Rick Emanuel.
“I think that’s such an important part of being good at whatever you do, is just loving it and being willing to put in the extra hours,” Curtin said. “I think the club is a huge part of if you want to play in college and make sure you’re on the right team with the right coach who is really aiding your development.”
During her junior year at Winchester, Curtin received an offer she could not refuse, and committed to Dartmouth.
Her career with the Big Green came with a laundry list of accomplishments. Curtin was awarded a spot on the Second Team All-Ivy and the New England Women’s Intercollegiate Soccer Association in 2021. She started in 28 games and scored 10 goals, and to round out her successes throughout her undergraduate career, Curtin attained 29 points and helped her teammates with nine assists.
Now as a Wildcat, Curtin has played an instrumental role in Villanova holding a 5-3 record so far this season.
“I really want the team to do well in the Big East, and I think we have worked really hard and deserve that,” Curtin said. “That’s my biggest goal right now, just doing all that I can to contribute to that competitive winning culture.”
Curtin is joined by three other fifth-year transfers on the team. Midfielder Kate Dobsch previously played at Wake Forest. Defender Bella Panaccione hails from Santa Clara University in California. Defender Olivia Neal is a former player from Campbell University. Dobsch played two seasons for Azem before she made the switch to Villanova.
“At any given moment, we’ve got six to seven players [on the field] that this is their first full season playing with Villanova, starting for us,” Azem said. “It takes some time to really get all the pieces together and to really establish your identity. And I’ve been very impressed with not only the new players, but also the returners.”
Curtin always knew she wanted to play soccer as long as she possibly could, and now she has the opportunity to do so as Villanova enters conference play. The Wildcats are scheduled to play Seton Hall at Higgins Soccer Complex on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 4 p.m. in celebration of Senior Day.
