College play marks fresh start for frosh soccer phenom Kaufman

Ian Mayer Arizona Daily Wildcat UA freshman midfielder Twila Kaufman (8) gets past a Denver defender last Friday at Murphey Stadium. Kaufman leads the Wildcats in scoring with four goals.

"I don't think we're in high school anymore," said UA freshman midfielder Twila Kaufman.

The jump from high school to college is always a tough adjustment, and adding a collegiate sport on top of that, one would think the change would be even more overwhelming.

But Kaufman has not only dealt with the change, she has surpassed the challenges before her.

"Twila has already made a big impact for our team," UA women's soccer captain Nikki Jones, a senior, said. "She's stepped up her game to the collegiate level and she's not intimidated out there."

Kaufman has contributed her dribbling and shooting skills to aid the Wildcats' ball possession at the midline as the center and outside midfielder. She has also added four goals to her name, leading the Wildcats in scoring.

Kaufman has started seven of the Wildcats' eight games this season.

"Twila's one of the freshman that has caught on quick," Jones said. "She knows the game really well. She's the only freshman to start this season and she has earned that position. She has really caught on to our system of playing."

Kaufman graduated from Harvard-Westlake High School in California, where she lived with her mother and sister. During her senior year she earned the MVP award and Most Inspirational Player award for her team.

"The level of soccer playing in college has been a huge step up from high school," Kaufman said. "It is a much more physical game and a more skillful level of play.

"And in comparison with club soccer - the speed of play and physical aspect is lot faster and harder."

Kaufman was a member of the two-time state champion club team, the SC Blues.

Although the level of soccer has been a change for Kaufman, she believes the level of academics to be comparable to that of high school.

"The courses are not too much harder. Although, it has been hard being out of town the first three weekends of school starting," she said, referring to how Arizona's first six games were all played on the road. "I missed a lot of classes, so now I am just playing catch-up. The hardest part is the time management of it all."

Kaufman intends on pursuing a major in English education.

Another adjustment Kaufman has dealt with is leaving her twin sister, Joan, behind.

Joan is a freshman at UC Irvine. The girls also attended different schools in high school.

"We are really close," Twila said of Joan. "We are used to attending different schools, but we're not used to living apart. It's really hard, but we do talk every night."

Joan is planning on attending Kaufman's games this weekend in Northern California when the Wildcats begin Pacific 10 Conference play Friday at California and Sunday at Stanford.

Cal, along with Washington, Stanford and Colorado College, were among Kaufman's choices for college.

"U of A was the best decision I could have made," she said. "It was the academic program for athletes, my teammates and coaches that brought me here. But even if something should happen with soccer, I'd still feel like this is the place. I love it.

"I want to prove to my team that I really want to be here. I'm not at Arizona because of the money or because I have family here. I just feel so lucky to be here and I hope my teammates know that."

Jones said she admires Kaufman, both on and off the field.

"Twila just doesn't back down to anyone and she gets the job done," Jones said.

And the respect between teammates is quite mutual. Kaufman had nothing but praise for Jones and her other teammates.

"The girls are great. And together we're a very confrontational and competitive team," Kaufman said. "We push each other, out of respect, to get one another to compete at our best level.

"And as I watch the team practice, I find something in everyone's game that I want to incorporate into my own."

Kate Longworth can be reached via e-mail at Kate.Longworth@wildcat.arizona.edu.