SUNY Potsdam Athletics

Brooke (Falsion) Mitchell proved to be one of the greatest student-athletes to ever compete for SUNY Potsdam. She rewrote the Bears women's soccer record book and with a talented core around her, brought the program to new heights. Each spring, Falsion was a threat on the softball diamond in the batter's box, on the basepaths and in centerfield. She was all-conference in both sports and women's soccer's first ever All-American.
 
Like many Bears Hall of Famers, Falsion's athletic experience began at home with siblings and friends.
 
"I think it was honestly mostly coming from growing up with an older brother and surrounded by boys in my neighborhood," the Brockport native said. "We played football on the side yard, and I'd be tackling them just as they would be tackling me."
 
Her competitiveness was visible from the start, as her neighbors felt firsthand.
 
"I put the helmet on, put the football pads on and I actually gave my neighbor a bloody nose one time because I was so into it."
 
Organized sports came next. Falsion started with the very same ones that made her stand out at Potsdam, soccer and t-ball. She considered other sports, but didn't join in.
 
"I wanted to dabble in a lot of things, but those two were just natural. I wanted to dabble in track because I was fast," said Falsion. "But who chooses to run for fun? Not me. I wanted to dabble in lacrosse. There were certain things like that, but at the end of the day, it came down to just the enjoyment that I got out of soccer and softball."
 
Falsion soon joined local recreational leagues. Very quickly her coaches recognized her ability and recommended she join travel leagues. The trend continued through middle school and into high school. Falsion continued her rise and enjoyed her time on the field and diamond but wasn't really thinking about playing at the next level until it became a possibility.
 
Her senior year coaches from different schools started attending her games and reaching out to her. Alfred State, Alfred University and Nazareth College actively recruited her along with Bears head coach, now athletic director, Mark Misiak. Misiak's teams were built on organization, defense and hard work, but were still looking for a scoring punch. He wrote out a detailed plan for Falsion during the recruiting process and it proved to be prophetic.  
 
"We need more of what you have- pace, ability to create goal scoring opportunities and exceptional technique," wrote Misiak. "We placed a lot of our attacking work on one or two players this past fall and it was too much at times. They need help and a player like you is exactly what they need to take the load off their shoulders. Your direct play going 1v1 and ability to connect with other attackers can be key when striking a relationship with our other talented attackers. They will help to bring out the best of your qualities, and in turn, you will bring out their best qualities . . . When all is said and done, I believe you can leave your mark as one of the finest- if not the finest player in Potsdam soccer history."
 
Misiak knew what Falsion was capable of and while she wasn't sold on the other colleges that were after her, it still took her a while to settle on Potsdam. Falsion credits her coach for not giving up.
 
"Just the drive that Misiak had to get me to just come see the school because I kept delaying and delaying and delaying it," Falsion said. "He would try to have phone calls every couple of weeks just to kind of check in, see where I was visiting. You could very well see his commitment to the school, and the soccer program and kind of where he saw me in that entire realm, which I appreciated."
 
Playing the long game eventually paid off for Misiak, as Falsion finally came to campus.
 
"I waited probably a good five or six months of Misiak hassling me to go see Potsdam," said Falsion. "I went up in the middle of the winter, my good old Chevy Malibu at the time with my father, and we got stuck in the good old winter of Potsdam in the parking lot where we had to shovel ourselves out."
 
The weather wasn't enough to scare her away and she ruled out the competing schools.
 
"The one that I just truly fell at home with at the end of the day was Potsdam, which is very ironic because I was teetering with even showing up. I honestly didn't commit until the spring before arriving on campus."
 
But arrive she did, joining the soccer team for preseason in August 2015. Like many freshmen, even extremely talented ones, Falsion was nervous during her first few practices, which she admits is unusual for her. While being four hours from home, she needed to prove that she could compete at the collegiate level, prepare for the academic year and as she put it, "find her people". She accomplished all those things and more.
 
The midfielder opened her career on September 1, against crosstown rival Clarkson University. Falsion and the Bears were shut out 2-0. It marked the only victory the Golden Knights would have against them in Falsion's four seasons. Four days later, she notched her first collegiate point on an assist in a 1-0 win over Keuka College in the first round of the Potsdam College Cup. The next day, she scored the game-winner and assisted on an insurance marker as the Bears defeated New England College 2-0 in the tournament title match. Falsion remembers her first goal and impact it had on her career.
 
"I remember my first goal actually, because my now husband (former Bears men's goalkeeper Jakeb Mitchell) was there at the time," Falsion said. "It was the first game he came to visit. I just remember it was outside the 18, side netting and I kind of couldn't believe it myself. Because you don't really know where your first goal is going to be. Then to have people that support you already there, not to mention your first couple games, you're starting to realize I can prove myself, and I now have to hold myself to a higher standard."
 
 
The tournament gave Falsion and the Bears momentum. When the dust settled, Potsdam had won a program record seven games in a row. She had five goals and three assists for 13 points during the stretch, including four straight contests with a goal. As the season came to a close, she led the team with 16 points on six goals and four assists. The Bears were 9-8-1, their first winning campaign in seven years. Falsion was content with her performance on the pitch, but knew she could raise her game.
 
"I'm always driven to do better and as you saw, the subsequent years were better," said Falsion. "I think it set a really good baseline for where I wanted to go in the following three years. That just made me push harder and train harder and challenge myself a bit more as to what goals I wanted to continue to achieve."
 
By January, Falsion was in preseason with the softball team. For the second time in five months she was adjusting to a new team and a new coach. Nicole Yost was in her second season at the helm of the softball team. Yost quickly learned how to get the most out of her new centerfielder and Falsion respected her for it.
 
"She's funny," Falsion said. "I feel like she's a big teddy bear, but she knows when to put people in their place too. I think it was just my personality. I feel like once you get to know me, you understand. But for the longest time, like my freshman and sophomore years, I was very blunt and very direct. A lot of people didn't know how to take it. She (Yost) took it in stride and kind of learned my way. I think, honestly, that that helped us a lot. I really appreciate the way that she coached us. I've kind of grown up around male coaches. I didn't really know what to expect out of a female, but she very much holds her own."
 
After overcoming more nerves and finding her place in a sport that wasn't her premier one, Falsion started more slowly on the diamond. She made her first start on March 6, 2016 in a doubleheader in Florida against Pitt-Greenburg and Cedar Crest. She was 0-for-4, but picked up her first hit the following day in a 2-1 win over Sage. Falsion stole her first base against New England College three days later. She finally broke out in Potsdam's last four games down south, going 6-for-12 with three runs and two two-hit contests. As the season wore on, Falsion had three more multi-hit games and tied the then single-game record for stolen bases with three at Buffalo State on April 24. She finished her first softball season with a .225 batting average, 20 hits, three doubles, seven runs-batted-in, 18 runs scored a team-leading 12 stolen bases.
 
Falsion's high school softball coach decided to take advantage of her speed by having her become a slap hitter. To do that she was also changed from a right-handed hitter to left. She'd put the ball in play and beat out base hits down the first baseline. While good strategy, it limited Falsion's greater potential as an all-around hitter. Yost solved the issue.   
 
"I don't remember what year was or which game, but she's (Yost) like, 'just swing away. Just do it and see where it takes us.' And I'm like 80 percent sure I hit like a double or something. And we're like, okay, we're done . . . You just do your thing and then as soon as we let that wall down, it started to build the confidence there."
 
The following fall, Falsion was held scoreless in the first two games of the 2016 soccer season as the Bears split Potsdam College Cup contests. As they had the season before, Falsion and her team caught fire and ripped off six straight victories. She was in the middle of it, scoring seven times and picking up an assist. Falsion scored twice in three of the games. On October 14, she added two more tallies in a 4-0 shutout of Fredonia. Potsdam finished the campaign 9-7-2 and Falsion led the Bears again with 23 points on 11 goals and an assist. The performance earned the midfielder second team All-SUNYAC recognition. Falsion was pleased with her performance and the support of her teammates. She was a bit surprised by the all-conference award but continued to drive herself to be even better.
 
"I never really looked into awards like most of the ones that I got," said Falsion. "I truly didn't know until somebody told me. It wasn't like I was playing for it. It was me showing up for my team and my team showing up for me, and thankfully coming to an awesome conclusion. At the end of the day, and I'm beyond blessed to have had the records that I have, but I can't really say it's all because of me either."
 
The 2017 softball season showed major progress for Falsion. She led the Bears in batting average (.367), runs (22) and stolen bases (14) and was second in hits (33). She also continued her strong play in centerfield, recording 46 putouts and the first two three-hit games of her career. As impressive as her offense was, her defense was almost as good, especially considering she'd rarely played there before college.
 
Falsion was enjoying all aspects of her Potsdam experience. She loved the tight-knit campus and surrounding community and the support she received from everyone.
 
"I know you always say small towns know each other, but you wouldn't think that the townies knew the college kids or vice versa. And I felt like there were a lot of people that I might not have known, but they knew me. It was just a very genuine environment that I enjoyed so much."
 
After making positive progress every season under Misiak, the soccer team finally broke out in 2017. The Bears rolled to a 12-3-2 mark in their first 15 contests, including a 5-1-1 record in SUNYAC play. Along the way, Potsdam picked up wins over a powerful Montclair State program, during which Falsion scored twice, and Cortland. The Bears not only clinched their first ever SUNYAC Playoff berth, but they also finished fourth and earned a home playoff game. Falsion had an assist in the quarterfinals against Oneonta, but the Bears fell 2-1 in overtime. Potsdam completed the year 12-6-2 (5-3-1 SUNYAC), setting the program's overall and conference wins records. Falsion finished with 29 points on 12 goals and five assists. She earned first team All-SUNYAC honors and was the first player in program history to earn All-East Region status. Despite her personal accomplishments, Falsion was more satisfied with the leap forward made by her program.
 
Falsion hit the diamond in the spring of 2018 for another strong season. She opened the year going 8-15 in four games in Virginia Beach on March 9-10. That included a 4-for-5, four-run, one RBI performance in a blowout win over Cobleskill. The southern swing set the tone for the rest of the season. She had a 3-for-4 contest against St. Lawrence on April 3, as well as four more multi-hit games. Falsion completed the year with a .301 average, 28 hits, a team-leading 23 runs and 17 stolen bases. Her already strong defense also continued to improve, as she recorded a .939 fielding percentage and 60 putouts.
 
Falsion's senior 2018-19 season is one of the greatest ever by a Bear. The women's soccer team, fresh off its best season to date, entered 2018 loaded with talent. Falsion was complemented by fellow All-SUNYAC selections Rylie Murray and Lexi Dean as well as many other skilled athletes. With 68 points in three seasons, she was also honing in on the program scoring record of 102 points. The Bears started the season 4-0 and never looked back. Falsion had five goals and an assist in the contests. On September 29, she scored two goals and assisted on the other in a 3-0 victory at Plattsburgh. The win was the first for the program after 31 meetings with the Cardinals. On October 13 at Oneonta, Falsion recorded an assist to break the program's scoring record. Potsdam clinched the third seed in the conference tournament and hosted Fredonia in the quarterfinals.  Falsion had a goal and an assist in the 5-0 rout of the Blue Devils. The goal gave her 46 for her career, setting the team mark. Her soccer career and the Bears' greatest season ended four days later with a 2-0 loss to Cortland in the semifinals. Potsdam finished 14-4-1 overall and 6-2-1 in the SUNYAC. Falsion scored 17 goals and assisted on seven for 41 points. She was named first team All-SUNYAC and the conference's offensive player of the year. Falsion repeated as all-region and was then named third team All-American. In 75 career games, she scored 46 goals and had 17 assists to set the program scoring record with 109 points. The awards she received cushioned the blow of the end of her collegiate career.
 
"To have that validation after the season was over, it was more reassuring," Falsion said. "It was like yeah, this stinks, but I know it's not the rest of my life, and I'm just happy that I was able to make the most of it."
 
In the spring, Falsion knew her college career was almost over and prepared to go out with a flourish. There was also a coaching change as former teammate and fellow Bears Hall of Famer Jordan Ott took over as head coach for the 2019 softball season.
 
"I love Jordan and I find her and I to be very similar individuals," said Falsion. "I enjoyed her as coach."
 
After a slow first four games, Falsion exploded for a 4-for-4, four run, two RBI, two-stolen base performance in an 11-5 win over Lasell in Florida. Falsion never slowed down, totaling 15 multi-hit games over the rest of the spring. She finished with the fourth highest batting average (.409) for a Bear in a season and just missed tying the program record for with 47. Falsion also stole 13 bases and recorded a career-high 97 putouts. Opposing softball coaches finally recognized her ability and selected her second team All-SUNYAC. Falsion is the softball program's all-time leader in stolen bases (56), runs scored (95), games played and games started (138). She is second in hits (128) and triples (10), fourth in total bases (164), walks (34), on-base percentage (.387) and at-bats (387), sixth in batting average (.331) and 10th in slugging percentage (.424).
 
At the end of the year banquet, Falsion was named the Potsdam Athletic Department's first ever Female Athlete of the Year. Falsion cemented her legend a year and a half later after being named to the SUNYAC Women's Soccer All-Decade Team. The women's soccer Class of 2019 is the only one to have winning seasons in all four years.
 
After graduating from Potsdam with a degree in exercise science, Falsion was torn between pursuing careers athletic training, physical therapy and nursing. She eventually decided to pursue a career in nursing. She found her dream job in the neonatal intensive care unit at Rochester's Strong Memorial Hospital. Falsion enjoys every aspect of her job, including the challenges.
 
"I enjoy watching them (newborns) and aiding them in their growth and development," said Falsion. "But also seeing the challenges that they overcome is just so inspiring. Not all stories are positive, unfortunately. But you help guide the parents in those challenging moments. And that's something that I just love that I could make them feel a little bit more comfortable in an environment that's not home. Just picking out the little outfits to wear for the day. That aspect of not only caring for the infant, but caring for the family as a whole, really, and just getting them through the tough moments."
 
Falsion and Mitchell, who ranks fourth in wins for the men's program, married in 2022. They will welcome a baby girl in December.