Kylie Aither, a senior captain on the Johnson women’s soccer team, broke the all-time previous record in points and goals at Johnson on Sunday, Sept. 24, during a home soccer match against Paul Smith’s College.

It was a hot, Sunday afternoon, approaching halftime of the game, when Aither shot and scored her 44th goal, breaking the previous set record of most goals scored at 43. She has also broken the record for number of points, which includes a count of one’s goals and assists put together, which was previously at a total of 103 points.

Following the last game of the season on Oct. 21, she remains first in points at 123, first in goals at 52 and second overall in assists at 19.

Not only has Aither claimed these Johnson State titles, she has also gained distinction in the NCAA division three record books, with the fifth-fastest three consecutive goals scored for an individual player.

Her time of one minute and 33 seconds remains at the number five seed among many other historical NCAA division three athletes. Aither said that reaching these milestones feels like all of the hard work over her whole life of soccer has finally paid off.

“I’m very proud of Kylie, and I’m thrilled that her efforts are going down in the record books,” said Andrew Lafrenz, head women’s soccer coach and coordinator of the sport management concentration. “Very few athletes approach the game with the tenacity, pride and love of the sport that Kylie brings. I think this record helps get her some of the recognition that she so richly deserves.  She is an all-time great and now the record books make that crystal clear.”

The coach calls Aither a “natural goal scorer” and “a leader by example,” where her abilities have continuously set the tone for both games and practices.

Aither has been playing soccer from when she was 3 years old, and her love of the game has remained the same since. She recalls attending Johnson basketball games as a kid and looking up to those players, knowing that, one day, she wanted to be a player like that. “Hopefully there are young girls out there who come watch our games and want to come play at Johnson one day,” said Aither, as she hopes her influence will affect the lives of youth around the Johnson community.

Although this is Aither’s last season of collegiate soccer, she plans to continue playing as much as she can after the season ends on various recreational teams in Vermont. “Since kids and teaching are a big part of my life, I hope to coach one day to give back and stay involved with the sport,” Aither said.