PLAYER FEATURE: MIA SENNES, MAPLEBROOK FURY

Written By:  Andrew Conniff
             ​Central Region Contributor

Marie (Mia) Sennes is one of the most tenured players in the WPSL’s Northern Conference. Sennes started playing with Maplebrook’s youth club in eight grade then got her start with Maplebrook Fury in the WPSL the summer leading into her freshmen year at Florida Atlantic University. Last Fall, Sennes finished third on the team in goals (3) and assists (2).

Sennes plays center forward for FAU but is often utilized in different positions for Maplebrook where she has been asked to play in center midfield and on the wing. Maplebrook finished third in the Northern Conference in 2021 and is again in third place after playing four matches this 2022 season.

For Sennes, she feels Maplebrook gets “overlooked after Salvo SC and Minnesota Thunder” but values the strength of her club having “a lot of pride in proving [they] can hang with the best teams.”
 

Salvo SC and Minnesota Thunder are currently in first and second in the conference and finished last season in a similar fashion with Thunder claiming the conference title. Maplebrook lost to Salvo SC earlier this season 5-1, which is not a result Sennes took lightly but feels confident they are capable of better performances.

“Our team has a lot of new players and a lot of young players,” Sennes said. “We haven’t had a lot of opportunities to practice together which was evident in our loss…but we do have a lot of raw talent.”

Sennes and Maplebrook played against Minnesota Thunder on Wednesday, June 15. Prior to the match, Sennes said that this was a match that her and her teammates were hyped up for as they know how big it would be for them. Sennes went on to get an assist in the match that found Maplebrook coming up just short in 3-2 defeat.
 

Sennes is part of a Maplebrook offense that has proven to be explosive, scoring eleven goals across three of its matches this season. Personally, scoring is something that she is focused on this WPSL season.

“I had ankle surgery my freshman year [of college] and am still in the process of finding comfort playing on it again…Scoring is one of my biggest goals [this season]. I want to be involved in creating opportunities and find confidence in beating defenders.”

Sennes has been credited with two goals and an assist through Maplebrook’s four matches. She feels that her team will continue to grow and that the key for them is finding consistency in their performances. Adapting from the college game to the WPSL does take time, as Sennes pointed out that each has its own playing style.
 

Playing college soccer in Florida has exposed Sennes to the physical and fast Southern style of play. Sennes feels the WPSL has more of a focus on possession, in particular with her Maplebrook team. Finding success in both college and the WPSL should help Sennes become the most complete goalscorer and creator she can be.
 

While much attention may go to Salvo SC and Minnesota Thunder at the top of the Northern Conference, Maplebrook Fury and Mia Sennes are an organization and a player deserving of attention. Maplebrook was 5-2-1 in 2021 and Sennes is showing the experience and quality to help push them into the Northern Conference’s top two.