By MARK MOSCHETTI
Seattle Pacific Sports Information
 
SEATTLE – You're joking … aren't you?
 
As Julia DeVere recalls, that was her initial reaction last spring when Seattle Pacific women's soccer coach Arby Busey told her about switching from an attacking midfield role to that of an outside defender.
 
"I've definitely always considered myself an attacking player," the Falcon senior said. "That's what I was recruited as, and my first three years, that's what I was – an attacking outside mid. It's where I was always most comfortable.
 
"When I was told I was going to start transitioning into a defensive player, I almost thought they were kidding. I wasn't expecting that. But I just want to contribute in any way that I can."
 
Is it working?
 
Is it ever.
 
DeVere has become so effective at her new position that she was named on Tuesday as the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Year. That honor came on the heels of twice being named the Defensive Player of the Week.
 
"That's so awesome – it's well deserved," teammate Megan Moore said. "She's such a strong force on defense, and in the attacking half, too. She just creates a lot of opportunities for us."
 
Creates a few for herself, too, with four goals of her own and assists on seven others so far in 2018.
 
Most important, DeVere has helped the Falcons earn a place in today's GNAC Tournament semifinals against 17th-ranked Concordia-Portland on the Cavaliers' home field. The teams will kick off at 7:00 p.m., just five days after DeVere scored the equalizing goal with 11 minutes left in regulation time to help SPU gain a 1-1 tie against this same team on that same pitch.
 
"I'm excited – it should be good," the 21-year-old DeVere said. "It's important to remember that we had a big game against them (last week) and we were able to play well and pull out a tie. But we're going to come in with a clean slate, and it's always going to be a new game. So we have to be ready for that."
 
With an overall record of 12-4-2, DeVere and SPU are playing for more than just a spot in Saturday afternoon's championship game. The Falcons are very much part of the conversation to make the NCAA Division II Tournament. A total of seven teams will be selected for the West Regionals, and they are right on the bubble at No. 7 as they head to Portland.
 
"We had such a long streak of going to the tournament (14 years in a row before missing out last year) that it was almost taken for granted, in a way," DeVere said. "Last year was a wake-up call. Being a senior, it would mean a lot to help my team get back there."
 
IT'S ALL ABOUT EVERYONE ELSE
My team. My teammates.
 
Julie DeVere uses those terms a lot – even when she's receiving accolades, not the least of which is this week's GNAC award.
 
"I'm honestly pretty shocked, just because I've never thought of myself as someone who would get an award like that," she said. "I'm really grateful to have coaches who believe in me, even when I wasn't believing in myself. And my teammates, not just this year but the other three years, have completely changed who I am as a player on and off the field."
 
To hear head coach Busey tell it, giving kudos to everyone else is just Julia being Julia.
 
"As a leader, as a friend, as a peer, as a teammate – she does it all, and she does it to the N'th degree," he said.
 
Although DeVere was recruited by SPU, she actually wound up walking onto the team as a freshman. She gradually earned some scholarship help as her career has progressed.
 
"We had watched her play as a youth soccer player and were impressed with her athleticism," Busey said. "Through her work ethic and diligence, she is really self-made as a player. She works her tail off, and it's great to see her being rewarded for all of the work she has put in."
 
MOVING UP THE DEPTH CHART
As a freshman in 2018, DeVere earned playing time in 18 of the 21 games, all off the bench. Her first college point – an assist – came in a midseason 3-1 win against Concordia.
 
She played all 20 games as a sophomore, again as a reserve, and scored two goals. DeVere was in action for all 17 games last season, including seven starts, tallying four goals and two assists.
 
This fall, she has been on the field for the opening whistle in all 18 games. That has added up to a team-high 1,449 of 1,674 total minutes played.
 
And she has loved all 1,449 of them.
 
"This is by far the most fun I've ever had playing soccer," DeVere said. "I get to stay true to my attacking roots and get up the field, help set up some goals, and have some myself. But I also have a stronger hand in preventing goals, and I really like the competitive aspect of being a defender."
 
Busey knew DeVere would buy into the positional change. However, even he acknowledged her performance has far exceeded expectations.
 
"We wanted to try to get a bit more attack out of our players in the back, and we felt she could handle the responsibility of a dual role" he said. "We had some growing pains in the spring trying to figure out how she was going to assimilate into that role.
 
"This fall has been amazing for her," he added. "At the same time, it's not that much of a surprise, knowing who Julia is and how she has done things here, and that she would take it on and thrive."
 
A SERVANT'S HEART
Taking things on and thriving is part of daily life for DeVere. That's to be expected for someone who's double-majoring in psychology and Spanish, and has a near-perfect 3.91 grade-point average.
 
Between all of that soccer and all of that studying, it's hard to imagine her taking on much of anything else. But DeVere, who wants to pursue her doctorate in psychology and eventually work with disadvantaged children, has found time to make two mission trips: first to Nicaragua while at Squalicum High School in Bellingham, and then to Haiti after her freshman year at SPU.

"Nicaragua was a really awesome experience – that was the first time I was able to use my Spanish," she said. "In Haiti, I was teaching English and Spanish, working on some different community projects, working in medical clinics, and doing a lot of construction."
 
DeVere also has been volunteering during the summer with Royal Family Kids, a faith-based organization that works with abused and neglected foster children.
 
"That's what inspired me to work with foster kids and have that drive for my career," she said.
 
While those years are still in front of DeVere, her soccer years – at least as far as playing the game – are about to be behind her.
 
"I wouldn't be opposed to coaching in the future," she said. "Soccer will always mean a lot to me and will always be in my life."
 
If for no other reason, it will be there because of how it, and those who play it at Seattle Pacific, have had such an impact on her life.
 
No matter what position she has played.
 
"Coming in, I had no confidence. I knew I could contribute with work rate and attitude, but I didn't know if there was much I could do on the field as a skilled player," she said. "My teammates came alongside me and built me up and pointed out specific skill sets I had and gave me the confidence to work on those and develop them even more."
 
Julia DeVere developed those skills all the way into becoming an award-winning player.
 
And nobody is joking about that.