Riley Houck loves soccer - the competitive energy, the familiarity, the relationships.

A dedicated college player, Houck initially viewed the Lancaster Inferno as a training tool, a vehicle for bridging seasons or a way to hone skills. But the way things have played out, she has come to see the local pre-professional women's soccer club as a whole lot more.

"I think (the Inferno) has kind of taken on its own separate thing for me," said Houck. "I think the Inferno, compared to college soccer, we talk about it being separate. College soccer is a fall sport; you've got to train over the summer, and (the Inferno) is a good way to keep your skill set up. But you've got to be able to adapt to different environments."

Houck recently completed her second season as a goalkeeper for the Lancaster Inferno, which is headquartered at Suite 35, Rock Lititz Blvd., Lititz. The Inferno, which is made up of some of the finest women's soccer players from across Lancaster County, competes in the Mid-Atlantic Division of the United Soccer League, Women (USL-W) and plays its home matches at Penn Medicine Park, which also hosts the Lancaster Stormers baseball team, at 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster.

"I'd say my role on the team is to definitely be a leader," said Houck, a 2023 graduate of Conestoga Valley High School who lives in East Lampeter Township. "Our position as goalkeepers requires us to be the eyes on the field. We tell the other players what we're seeing. We should be the loudest leaders on the field, even though we aren't always engaged. We have a pretty loud voice that controls most of the game."

"I think overall, we had a pretty good season," continued Houck. "Our team this year was almost entirely made up of new players, so we had to build a new chemistry."

The Lancaster Inferno went 4-5-1 in the USL-W's Mid-Atlantic Division, a season that began in early May and concluded in late June. The USL-W is designed to be a proving ground for women's soccer players looking to play professionally and a way for college players to remain active out of season.

"I love it because it supports women in sports," said Houck. "Lancaster has always been a competitive soccer area. When I was young, we looked up to Inferno players. We wanted to be them. I love that we can be role models for young girls in sports. It's just nice to be a part of something that's building for women and young girls."

After graduating from Conestoga Valley, Houck played one season of Division I women's soccer at Fairfield University in Connecticut. During this upcoming fall season, Houck, who's pursuing a career as a physician assistant, will be a member of Lock Haven's Division II squad, which competes in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference.

"I've always experienced soccer as an outlet," said Houck. "Soccer has never judged you, and it's always been there for you. It provides so many opportunities. I've always been social, and you always get different kinds of relationships. It's a different closeness. (Fellow players) understand you in ways other people don't. I love the sport. That's why I have to keep going."

Houck started playing soccer when she was 4, and as she grew into it, the game required four two-hour practices a week and multiple games in season. At one point, she was both a goalkeeper and a field player, before eventually gravitating to the position that her father once played.

"Since I was playing Division I soccer, I wanted something to push me," said Houck of her 2024 season with the Lancaster Inferno. "I thought it was going to be a good way to play competitive soccer. After the first year, I got so close to the girls and the coaches. They're like my family. It would've been hard to walk away after my last game. That's what made me want to come back for my second year."

For additional information, go to http://www.lancasterinferno.com.