Counter attack: Ryelle Shuey’s soccer career switches fields, changes course

The fire still burns in her belly. The skills are still there – the big foot, the feel for the game, the ball skills. The body is willing, the spirit is willing, and the circumstances are quite right.

Besides, she’s always had so much to give.

Ryelle Shuey continues to play the game she loves, the one she’s so good at. But that doesn’t mean the former ELCO superstar, who is one of the finest female players Lebanon County has ever produced, can’t imagine a life without soccer.

“It has definitely changed,” said Shuey of soccer’s place in her life. “When I was younger, I put a lot of pressure on myself. I wanted to be the best, but I learned you’re going to fail at times. Now it’s, ‘How do you respond to it?’ It’s just a game. It’s a game you love, but it doesn’t define you. When you were younger, you played because it was fun and it builds connections.”

“I can put it in perspective now,” she added. “At one point, it was so important to me. Some of the best friends I’ve made are from that sport. When I look at it now, I love those amazing memories, I cherish them. But it’s still important to me.”

Earlier this month, Shuey completed her seventh season with the Lancaster Inferno, a pre-professional women’s soccer club based in Lititz and made up of some of the top female players in central Pennsylvania. Shuey, 24, competed in eight of the Inferno’s 10 games this summer, scoring a pair of goals from her defensive center back position.

The Inferno finished their spring/early summer schedule in the 60-team United Soccer League, Women 4-5-1.

“We all joke that I’m the old lady on the team,” said Shuey, of a squad made up of mostly college-aged players. “I’d the oldest player. But I see myself as having this experience, of having this wisdom. I’m like a mentor, which I really enjoy. I approach it like, ‘How can I make these younger players better?’ It’s kind of come full circle for me.

“I think the season went well for me. I’m post-college now, I’m in my adult time and in my professional life, and this is just a way for me to stay with my passion and stay fit. I’m kind of on the back end of play playing days.”

Following her stellar career at Lehigh University, the Lancaster Inferno afforded Shuey an opportunity to play soccer beyond college, an opportunity not afforded to all former players. The Lancaster Inferno prides itself on providing athletic opportunities for females of all ages, through its pre-professional squad, its women’s under-23 team and the tiers of its developmental youth program.

“This club and organization is phenomenal,” she said. “It’s grown since I started in 2018. These opportunities weren’t always there for these girls. There is such a rich soccer culture in this area and all this talent. It’s been transformational for me as a player and a person. I started when I was young, and I didn’t know what to expect. It’s not only this game, it’s this sense of giving back to the community. Yes, this is a wonderful game, but it provides so many opportunities in this area.

“The goal is to try to develop these players so they can go to this pro league. Some (professional and semi-professional) teams reached out to me, but I really didn’t pursue it. There are some girls who reached out and took the next step. Last year, I had an opportunity to work out with a team in France. It didn’t work out, but I had a chance to travel. I didn’t look beyond and see if there were (other) opportunities.”

After playing multiple positions at Lehigh, Shuey was named the Patriot League’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2023. Before graduating with a degree in biology in 2024, Shuey played in 74 career games at Lehigh, tallying 12 goals and an assist.

“The biggest thing that stands out to me about Lehigh was the community,” said Shuey, a resident of Schaefferstown. “I was used to that smalltown feel (at ELCO). Lehigh just felt like it was meant to be. It made my time there enjoyable and rewarding.

“I thrive being around others. I’m social by nature. They’re (teammates) pushing me to be my best self. Having those social skills is benefitting me in other parts of my life. I’m extremely competitive and I have this drive to be better. When I was younger, my parents had me try other sports, like T-ball and gymnastics. But it didn’t do it for me. Some of it is just that satisfaction of working hard.”

At ELCO, Shuey enjoyed personal success, and her leadership talents inspired the Raiders to team success. During her four-year varsity career in Myerstown, the Raiders won multiple championships and compiled an overall record of 73-12-3, and she established girls’ soccer program records with 88 career goals, 25 goals in a season and 25 assists in a season.

“Your body definitely changes when you get older,” said Shuey. “You recover differently. Now, I can still move my body. But I think it will come to a point where I’m going to have to preserve my body. I think there will be a day when I know I don’t want to injure my body. When that day comes, I’ll listen to my body.

“You devote so much time and energy to soccer. Graduating from college was kind of tough. The Lancaster Inferno is kind of the best of both worlds. I get to live out my professional career and soccer is another passion of mine. I definitely think about (retiring from playing). I think I’m going to play as long as my body allows me to. I’m definitely going to play next year, but after that, I’ll just see where life takes me. I will definitely stay with the sport as long as I can.”

Even as a player in high school, Shuey exhibited the skills required to be a coach – discipline, patience and an affinity toward mentoring. Currently, she’s a biology teacher at Cedar Crest High School, the Falcons’ head middle school girls’ soccer coach and a junior varsity girls’ basketball coach.

“When I was younger, as an athlete, I always remember helping out and volunteering,” said Shuey. “I always saw myself as being in a coaching position and role. When you’re an athlete, you kind of fall in love with the game you play and you kind of don’t want to give it up. It (coaching) was always in the picture. There are parallels in the teaching and coaching professions. I love the environments I’m in.”