Soule Overcomes Obstacles To Find Success
February 28, 2019 | Women's Basketball, #ForBoston Files
Taylor Soule overcame freshman obstacles en route to becoming a breakout star.
Boston College freshman Taylor Soule will never forget the first time she stepped on the court against Notre Dame. The game was on the road at Purcell Pavilion, under the shadows of last year's national championship banner. She checked into the game and lined up against Arike Ogunbowale, the hero from last year's buzzer beaters against both Connecticut and Mississippi State. The New Hampshire couldn't help herself, and she started that game with a star struck feeling.
"Growing up, not even as a five year old but as a 14-year old or 16-year old, you follow (women's basketball) on Sportscenter," she said. "You see all these coaches and players on television. When we were at Notre Dame, I was thinking that I was able to play against these legends (across the sport), high-fiving them. Not many kids get to do that."
Soule's starry eyes turned to steely-eyed confidences as the game wore on.
"There's a difference when you're nervous versus when it becomes surreal," she said. "I liked that, having that hype to have that many people watching."
She scored 18 points in that game, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the floor with an additional eight free throws. It was a season-high to that point, and it represented the next step in the maturation process of the one of BC's budding young players. The next game at Miami, she scored 13 points, again displaying an ability to get to the line.
Three games later, the freshman was back in the starting lineup for Syracuse, and it's been off the races since. One of two Eagles to average double figures in the last five games, she's helping form the core of a team that's remained competitive, even as wins have been hard to earn, while proving that her face belongs among the stars of the ACC.
It wasn't always easy. Soule started her collegiate career in BC's starting lineup, having made the quick adjustment to the college game. She scored 26 points in the team's first two games and shot well over 60% from the floor in the first three. She averaged double figures with over four rebounds, over one assist, and one steal per game. It earned her starting rights through December, when things started to take a downturn.
"Having that opportunity to start as a freshman was unbelievable, but I hit a bump in the road," she said. "I went to the bench (in midseason) and had an ankle injury. So I had to ride a rollercoaster just to get back to basketball. When I got back (to full strength), I had to find my role."
That role included a different look for most of January and February. She still played 20 minutes per game, save for the Florida State and Duke games, but it was still different casting from the start of the season. It was something she attacked with her coaches, and with the help of the team, it helped her become a more dynamic player.
"I realized that basketball is more than just basketball," Soule said. "It is really about who you are as a person. I talked to (assistant coach AJ Cohen) about it, and he told me that people always watch you for your reaction as a person, not as a player. At the beginning of the season, I had to adjust my basketball sense. After the injury, I adjusted as a person. I had to learn more about how to play, how to handle situations and grow as a person."
It's something that exploded onto the scene with that Notre Dame game and continued since her return to the starting lineup. She scored 10 points against Syracuse and 11 against the Fighting Irish after returning to the starting five and experienced a national breakout against North Carolina. Playing her first game at Carmichael Arena, she went off for 21 points and nine rebounds. It was her second straight game with nine rebounds and preceded a seven-board effort at Louisville last week.
"That North Carolina game, we kept learning how to trust each other," she said. "We trusted the (scouting report) to set some screens and get to the basket. That worked into how I play, listening to the coaches. Plus people like Taylor Ortlepp were telling me to ball and do what I can do. I hit a couple of shots, and the confidence was just there."
That confidence is a huge piece of what BC is trying to build. Wins are becoming harder to come by, but the team is completely undeterred. The players knew a young roster gelling into college competition for the first season would have its challenges, but it's never a discouragement. This team is forming the core for what it hopes will be a successful process, and the seeds are planted behind the scenes to lay that foundation.
"A lot of people might think that coaches just want us to be in a role, but it's more than that," Soule said. "To stay at this level requires more heart and hustle than anything else. The coaches always impress upon us that basketball is more than skill and talent. The majority of the game is heart and hustle. You can miss shots, but players that want to be great want it more than the person next to them. It's about energy. Our coaches don't ask who will drop 25 points per game; they are going to ask us to play with our whole heart and have fun."
BC wraps up its regular season on Sunday with its home finale against Syracuse at Conte Forum. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. Following that game, the Eagles will compete in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina, beginning on March 6.
Â
"Growing up, not even as a five year old but as a 14-year old or 16-year old, you follow (women's basketball) on Sportscenter," she said. "You see all these coaches and players on television. When we were at Notre Dame, I was thinking that I was able to play against these legends (across the sport), high-fiving them. Not many kids get to do that."
Soule's starry eyes turned to steely-eyed confidences as the game wore on.
"There's a difference when you're nervous versus when it becomes surreal," she said. "I liked that, having that hype to have that many people watching."
She scored 18 points in that game, hitting 5-of-6 shots from the floor with an additional eight free throws. It was a season-high to that point, and it represented the next step in the maturation process of the one of BC's budding young players. The next game at Miami, she scored 13 points, again displaying an ability to get to the line.
Three games later, the freshman was back in the starting lineup for Syracuse, and it's been off the races since. One of two Eagles to average double figures in the last five games, she's helping form the core of a team that's remained competitive, even as wins have been hard to earn, while proving that her face belongs among the stars of the ACC.
It wasn't always easy. Soule started her collegiate career in BC's starting lineup, having made the quick adjustment to the college game. She scored 26 points in the team's first two games and shot well over 60% from the floor in the first three. She averaged double figures with over four rebounds, over one assist, and one steal per game. It earned her starting rights through December, when things started to take a downturn.
"Having that opportunity to start as a freshman was unbelievable, but I hit a bump in the road," she said. "I went to the bench (in midseason) and had an ankle injury. So I had to ride a rollercoaster just to get back to basketball. When I got back (to full strength), I had to find my role."
That role included a different look for most of January and February. She still played 20 minutes per game, save for the Florida State and Duke games, but it was still different casting from the start of the season. It was something she attacked with her coaches, and with the help of the team, it helped her become a more dynamic player.
"I realized that basketball is more than just basketball," Soule said. "It is really about who you are as a person. I talked to (assistant coach AJ Cohen) about it, and he told me that people always watch you for your reaction as a person, not as a player. At the beginning of the season, I had to adjust my basketball sense. After the injury, I adjusted as a person. I had to learn more about how to play, how to handle situations and grow as a person."
It's something that exploded onto the scene with that Notre Dame game and continued since her return to the starting lineup. She scored 10 points against Syracuse and 11 against the Fighting Irish after returning to the starting five and experienced a national breakout against North Carolina. Playing her first game at Carmichael Arena, she went off for 21 points and nine rebounds. It was her second straight game with nine rebounds and preceded a seven-board effort at Louisville last week.
"That North Carolina game, we kept learning how to trust each other," she said. "We trusted the (scouting report) to set some screens and get to the basket. That worked into how I play, listening to the coaches. Plus people like Taylor Ortlepp were telling me to ball and do what I can do. I hit a couple of shots, and the confidence was just there."
That confidence is a huge piece of what BC is trying to build. Wins are becoming harder to come by, but the team is completely undeterred. The players knew a young roster gelling into college competition for the first season would have its challenges, but it's never a discouragement. This team is forming the core for what it hopes will be a successful process, and the seeds are planted behind the scenes to lay that foundation.
"A lot of people might think that coaches just want us to be in a role, but it's more than that," Soule said. "To stay at this level requires more heart and hustle than anything else. The coaches always impress upon us that basketball is more than skill and talent. The majority of the game is heart and hustle. You can miss shots, but players that want to be great want it more than the person next to them. It's about energy. Our coaches don't ask who will drop 25 points per game; they are going to ask us to play with our whole heart and have fun."
BC wraps up its regular season on Sunday with its home finale against Syracuse at Conte Forum. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. Following that game, the Eagles will compete in the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, North Carolina, beginning on March 6.
Â
BC Men's Hockey All-Access
Saturday, December 27
Men's Basketball: FDU Postgame Press Conference (Dec. 22, 2025)
Tuesday, December 23
Men's Basketball: UMass Postgame Press Conference (Dec. 10, 2025)
Thursday, December 11
Women's Basketball: Bryant Postgame Press Conference (Dec. 9, 2025)
Wednesday, December 10
