‘I try to fight all the time’: How Addison Lucki became the personification of Watterson girls soccer
Monday, November 2, 2026
By Michael Rich
mrichnotwealthy@gmail.com
Watterson senior Addison Lucki (2) is exactly the person that the Eagles want to showcase for her consistent and inspiring work ethic. Photo: Kevin Rouch
Addison Lucki can remember it like it was yesterday. Lucki, a forward, rebounded a Sophie Scott shot and stuck it in the top corner with 1 second left to give the Watterson girls soccer team a 1-0 victory over Pickerington North on Sept. 23, 2024.
It was a moment so entrenched in her that she chose it as her favorite memory for the Eagles senior night celebration this year.
“Honestly, I just loved all the love I got afterward,” said Lucki, who is now a senior. “My whole team was just really excited for me.”
For Watterson coach Scott Dempsey, Lucki’s choosing of that moment meant much more.
“She was probably one of the smallest players on the field – if not, the smallest player on the field. It was a close game – a very physical game. We got an opportunity and she absolutely sold out in front of the goal and got the game-winning goal,” Dempsey said.
“She was on a state championship team, right? She didn’t talk about that. She’s been a four-year letter winner. She didn’t talk about that. She talked about one moment where all the hard work and all the dedication came together in a regular season game against a tough opponent.”
It’s what makes Watterson … well, Watterson.
The Eagles, who are 15-1-2 overall and were the top-seeded team in the Division II district tournament, defeated Logan 7-0 in a final on Oct. 29.
Watterson faces Big Walnut in a regional semifinal Nov. 3 at Pickerington North. The winner plays Westerville Central or New Albany in the final Nov. 7 at Granville.
Defender Taylor Shape (21) goes airborne for a header during Watterson’s district final match with Logan last week at Watterson. Photo: Kevin Rouch
The Eagles are seeking their third consecutive trip to the state tournament – a run that began in 2024 with a state championship.
Scott, a junior forward, had 17 goals and 13 assists to lead the Eagles. Junior forward Gwynn Griffin had 16 goals and 12 assists, and sophomore midfielder Ayden Goulet leads with 16 assists. Lucki has chipped in with five goals and five assists.
Watterson has allowed just 12 goals this season and has 11 shutouts, led by goalies Anna Boiarsky (junior) and Josie Smith (sophomore).
They lead a defense that includes senior Stella Schiavone, juniors Gabby Smullen and Taylor Shape and freshman Libbey Kirsh.
Junior midfielder Claudia White, “does all the grunt work,” Dempsey said.
Lucki is the personification of the program Dempsey hoped to build when he took over in 2017.
“We have a lot of belief in players and a lot of belief in the people that are a part of our program,” Dempsey said. “It seems to pay dividends year over year.”
It’s all part of the process.
“We spend a lot of time making sure that we’re as well-prepared as we possibly can be – in all phases of the game from scouting to technical development to tactical adjustments,” Dempsey said. “We don’t really talk about winning all that much because we’re kind of married to the whole idea that if we do things as well as we can do them, the results kind of take care of themselves.”
Lucki is an example of a player that has bought into the process, worked hard and is now helping others to do the same.
Gwynn Griffin, who has 16 goals and 12 assists for Watterson, attacks in the Eagles’ offensive zone during their match against Logan last week. Photo: Kevin Rouch
“She does all the things we’ve ever asked of her, and she does them with 100% effort,” Dempsey said. “That’s one of the things that’s helped her succeed all along in this process of being a player in this program.”
Dempsey has known Lucki for a long time. Her older sister, Lauren, played for him before graduating in 2019.
Lauren was the person that got Addison into soccer in the first place. Addison is the youngest of four siblings.
“I just loved watching them play,” Addison said.
Standing at 4-foot-11, Lucki isn’t an imposing figure. But she makes it work with a lot of strength training and effort.
She was a reserve on the state championship team but didn’t play in the final.
“I try to fight all the time,” Lucki said. “And I try to work as hard as everybody else. I focus on strength training and practice and making sure I’m doing everything to the best of my ability. I give everything I have even when on some days, I may not have it in me.”
Lucki is in the final stretch of her playing career because she’s not planning on playing at the next level.
Instead, she’s planning on pursuing dentistry in college – something that’s inspired by another sibling. Her older brother, Aaron, is a dentist.
Lucki is one of three seniors on the team this season along with Schiavone and forward Vivian Koffler.
“I’ve learned that you need to lead yourself before you can lead others,” Lucki said. “My dad always told me to put yourself out there and make connections with everybody and it’ll help you along the way. So, I’ve always tried to do that.”
Defender Stella Schiavone prepares for a free kick against the Logan Chieftains in Watterson’s district final win at Watterson. Photo: Kevin Rouch