On the soccer pitch, Payton Galuski can do it all. Whether it’s creating space, shooting from a distance, or delivering the ball, Galuski can contribute in many ways.

“She can help them win. They know that,” said Ryan Hardy, head coach of the Waterford-Halfmoon Boys’ soccer team. “They know her skill level, and all that good stuff. And they're very excited to have her on the team.”

And the Waterford-Halfmoon freshman is doing it all on the boys’ varsity soccer team.

“It's more physical too. So I have to shoot the ball harder, pass the ball harder, dribble faster. My whole speed of the game has to increase,” Galuski said.

After winning two state championships with the girls' varsity team as a middle schooler, which also included earning Class C State Player of Year and two First-Team All-State honors. Galuski opted for more of a challenge as she entered high school.

“The first thing we told her was, ‘Hey, you know, it's going to make it play quicker because it's just a quicker game.’ And I think she took that with stride. Each game she's getting better and better as we move forward,” Hardy said.

Right off the bat, Galuski has become one of the Fordians’ top goal-scorers and assist leaders. She’s playing a crucial role to help them defend its sectional title.

“I was hoping I would score, but I thought that I was going to get a lot more assists than goals because I thought I was going to be harder for me to get shots off because it was quicker,” Galuski said. “So I have had to adapt to getting quicker and shooting the ball.”

She thanks her teammates for supporting and welcoming her to the team.

Galuski is just the second girl in the area recently to take on this unique endeavor. Two years ago, Claire Hutton, who now plays with the KC Current in the NWSL, played with the Bethlehem boys varsity team.

“Actually I think I just talked to [Hutton] the other day. I was talking to her about how it's going, and we do check-ins and see how it's going and stuff,” Galuski said.

“The great thing about [Galuski] is she knows the game so well that she was actually helping some of the younger kids with, ‘Hey, move here, make a run here,’” Hardy said.

Between playing with the boys, travel teams, and the Olympic Development Program National Team, Galuski hopes all of this will translate to one day playing professional soccer.

“It's been fun because it's like I'm taking on something different and the teammates have been good,” Galuski said.