Mallory Schaffer

Classroom

Schaffer currently maintains a grade point average of 3.67 and is on track to graduate from William and Mary with a degree in Biology.  A pre-med student, Schaffer became only the second William and Mary women’s soccer player to be named the CAA Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2011.  Her academic achievements last season comprised of being named a First-Team NSCAA Academic All-American, a Third-Team CoSIDA Academic All-American and a First-Team Academic All-District honoree.  After graduation from William and Mary, she plans to pursue a career as a physician.

Character

A little more than halfway through the 2011 season, Schaffer was having undoubtedly her best season in a Green and Gold uniform.  However, with eight games left she suffered a rib fracture that left her in a tremendous amount of pain.  Rather than missing a contest, Schaffer played though the pain as she set the tone the rest of the way for W&M. Not only did Schaffer feel pain on the field, but she lived with the discomfort off the field.  For Schaffer, the simplest of movements triggered pain and annoyance.  Her responsibilities such as schoolwork started to take twice as long to complete due to her injury.  Instead of shutting it down, she persevered through the pain, knowing that her teammates needed her presence and leadership.  Despite being injured, she displayed her character, determination and leadership as she helped propel William and Mary to its 10th CAA Championship and a berth in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.  At the end of the year, Schaffer earned NSCAA First-Team All-America accolades and was named the CAA Player of the Year.

Community

In the local community, Schaffer is involved in the Williamsburg Community Chapel, leading a Bible Study group of area high school girls.  Her ministry duties go beyond the boundaries of conducting weekly bible studies.  Schaffer also serves as a chaperone for weekend retreats and other social events.  As a role model and mentor, she helps with their schoolwork and regularly attends their extracurricular activities. In the spring of 2012, through the Williamsburg Community Chapel, Schaffer along with 35 other college students traveled to Nicaragua for a weeklong mission trip.  Her time in Central America centered on enhancing a local orphanage’s network and reach, while also volunteering at a child-feeding center.  When not working manual labor, she taught English and took kids from the orphanage and feeding center to the local pool and zoo.  Before heading to Nicaragua, Schaffer and her colleagues had to lay some groundwork in preparation for the trip.  In all, her group collected 35 bags of clothes, school supplies and hygiene essentials. Schaffer is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and member of a local female athlete’s Bible study.  Her community service acts in Williamsburg have evolved around cleaning up William and Mary Hall after basketball games, volunteering at Relay 4 Life events and donating canned foods to local food drives.

Competition

On the field, Schaffer was named the 2011 CAA Player of the Year as she also garnered first-team league honors.  The awards continued to pile up in 2011 as she was named a First-Team NSCAA All-American, while being named a Soccer MVP Second-Team All-American.  Schaffer capped a decorated junior season taking home First-Team Region honors, First-Team VaSID accolades and the VaSID Player of the Year distinction. For the season, Schaffer was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s National Team of the Week twice, while garnering CAA Player of the Week accolades on the two occasions.  On October 18, Schaffer was selected as a CollegeSoccer360.com Primetime Performer for her efforts on the week, and on September 27, she was named the ECAC Offensive Player of the Week.  After finishing a successful junior campaign with 40 points, 17 goals and six assists, Schaffer was a Herman Trophy semifinalist.  Nationally, she finished the year ranking 11th in goals scored, 16th in points and 17th in points per game (1.82). In 2010, she netted a team-high 10 goals and 23 points en route to earning First-Team CAA honors and Third-Team All-Mid-Atlantic Region accolades.  Schaffer also garnered First-Team VaSID distinctions and was selected to Top Drawer Soccer’s National Team of the Week on September 6. As a freshman, Schaffer started all 19 matches for the College, tallying four goals and 10 points on the season.  For the year, she finished second on the team in points and goals scored. For her career, Mallory ranks 10th all-time at William and Mary in goals scored with 31.  For a season, her 17 goals in 2011 are tied for ninth most in school history, while her 40 points in the same year stand at 10th best.