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SAN FRANCISCO – Sonja Giraud might be an unlikely forward by appearance, but once she steps on the pitch you see the drive and determination she has to help the Dons rise to prominence. Here, she is profiled for USF's cable television show, "Behind the Mask," airing this month on Comcast SportNet California.

"I think playing for USF makes me a better player every day," Giraud notes. "Every practice, Jim demands everything out of all of us, and it's not ok if you don't give 100% every practice because this is the way you're going to play. He basically prepares us for professional soccer, because he treats us like professionals."

The junior forward from Wangen, Germany, reflects on the close of her sophomore year, missing the last three games due to injury and watching from the sidelines as the Dons fell just close of an NCAA Tournament berth. Coming back stronger and even more determined in 2016, Giraud is prepared to lead the Dons start to finish.

"She is so inspired, in terms of what the girls have done and what she wants to no contribute as her legacy," said assistant coach Paul Hart. "You can see she's taken on a leadership role straightaway. The girls respect her tremendously. She has a voice, and she has a voice that resonates around the team when she speaks. I think she brings that type of confidence, that type of determination that she wants to put her footprint on this team."

The show highlights all of USF's 15 varsity sports at takes viewers beyond the game through feature storytelling from the Dons' Emmy award winning Director of Video Katie Morgan and her team. This vignette can be seen in the season three premier episode with debuted last week. The show reairs multiple times on CSNCA; including today at 8 p.m., Thursday at 10:30 p.m., and Friday at 7 p.m.

In the San Francisco Bay Area, Comcast SportsNet California can typically be found on channel 698 for DirecTV customers, 438 on the Dish Network, 412-01 on Dish Hopper packages, 767 on U-Verse and 41 on most Comcast packages. Check local listing for your cable provider's station guide and additional air times and dates.