Ohio State women’s soccer forward Tiffany Cameron said she’d made a promise with herself heading into her senior season.
“It’s my senior year and I made a promise to myself that I am going to go into every game like it’s my last,” Cameron said.
Having notched five game-winning goals and the Sept. 10 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honor, it seems that Cameron is making good on the promise to herself..
“It’s an honor, so I was very excited and happy,” Cameron said of winning the Big Ten honor. “I know a lot of people are happy for me and proud of me and I just need to keep it up.”
Cameron said her strengths make her stand out as an offensive player.
“I think (it’s) my ability to run at players and get in and behind players,” Cameron said. “My finishing has been pretty good so far … I think (those are) my biggest strengths, just kind of playing around with the ball and doing my own thing and swagger.”
Cameron has scored seven goals in her last six games and has eight total scores on the season. OSU freshman forward Marisa Wolf said Cameron works hard to score those goals.
“She is determined and won’t give up until she gets that goal,” Wolf said.
Cameron’s productivity, however, hasn’t necessarily been limited to this season.
In her career as a Buckeye, Cameron has netted 19 goals, 11 assists and 10 game-winners since arriving to Columbus in 2009. In that span, she’s played in 66 games and started in 61 of them.
Coach Lori Walker said Cameron’s ability to be unpredictable helps her succeed on the field.
“Very unpredictable when she has the ball at her feet,” Walker said. “When we need her most she is coming through for us, so I credit to just how hard she is working and the entire team works hard to get her in the right place and I think that is an important part.”
Cameron, though, admitted she has a weakness.
“This year, I am working on not letting things get to my head and taking it one step at a time,” Cameron said. “I think when I take things one step at a time I succeed.”
Sunday’s 2-1 overtime victory against Minnesota was the Big Ten opener for the Buckeyes, and Cameron said she is excited to take on more Big Ten teams this season.
“I am definitely looking forward to the Penn State game because they are always coming out to play hard and they are a good team,” Cameron said. “I think the Penn State game and Wisconsin and Michigan, but mostly the Penn State game.”
Cameron and OSU are scheduled to take on Illinois on Friday at 7 p.m. in Champaign, Ill.