A former player for the No. 1-ranked junior team in the country by GotSoccer.com, Palo Alto 93 Blue. A fourth place finish in the nation on the De Anza Force U18 team at the National Academy finals. A top scorer for  the Palo Alto 95 Blue and Palo Alto High School teams. A state and regional champion.

Skyler Felt, Paly Class of 2013, has been all of these. Felt was a starting forward for the Vikings throughout his sophomore season. Due to tension between him and the Paly coaching staff,  Felt focused solely on playing for the De Anza Force Academy for the rest of his high school career, according to this Viking story. He now attends the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he plays soccer on an athletic scholarship.

Felt, a freshman, has appeared in seven games so far with the Badgers. According to UWBadgers.com, Felt has a .333 shots-on-goal average with two points scored this season. The Badgers have an overall record of 13-4-2 and a conference record of 4-2-0.

The Paly Voice caught up with Felt to find out more about his experience playing soccer.

The Paly Voice: How is your team’s season going so far?

Skyler Felt: Our season is going great thus far. We are ranked 16th in the country and second in the Big 10 and haven’t been ranked that high since 1995. We should make the NCAA tournament, which is the main goal for any college soccer team.

TPV: What has been your favorite aspect of playing collegiate soccer?

SF: My favorite aspect of playing college soccer is going in to the school year with a core group of friends that you can always hang out with and will always have your back. We have a very tight-knit group of guys, and I think that is has helped with our success on and off the field.

TPV: Have there been any standout moments or plays you have made this year?

SF: My personal favorite moment of the season was scoring my first collegiate goal. It was definitely a top-5 adrenaline rush for me personally. It is something not that many people can say they have done in their freshman season, which is pretty cool.

TPV: Are there any major differences between college and high school soccer?

SF: The main differences between college and high school soccer are the physicality and speed of play. On my team I think we have one 27-year-old, one 24-year-old, and 10 22- to 23-year-olds. So you are truly going up against full grown men. As an 18-year-old it was definitely a little intimidating at first, but you learn how to adjust and play to your strengths.

TPV: Do you have any advice for current Paly or high school players?

SF: My advice would be to make sure you are playing every single day. In college there are no real breaks, especially when you are in season. Challenge yourself as much as possible by playing with the best players your area has to offer.

TPV: Where do you see your soccer career headed?

SF: I would like to play soccer as long I can. I don’t know what I would do without it, so I can see it being an important part of my life for a long time.