Women’s soccer rundown: strong defense improves Pilot’s chances for return to playoffs
New year, new season, new game plan. After winning the season opener 1-0, the UP women’s soccer team is taking the 2013 season with some strong goals and strong players.
Seven seniors and eight freshmen on the roster make this both one of the oldest and youngest teams the Pilots have had. The coaches are mixing the young and old players in the starting lineups and into games.
“We balance each other out,” senior defender Amanda Frisbie said. “The number of freshmen coming in and returners is great for us.”
There have been a few shifts made in the positioning of players, like Frisbie and fellow senior defender Michelle Cruz moving to defense. This is an attempt to have the team focus on defense, mainly by cutting their goals against in half from last season’s 23. Senior goalkeeper Erin Dees will continue to be a critical part in the strong defense, making saves like the ones in last season’s playoff shootout win against Washington State.
The talent on the team is equally dispersed between the players and grades. They see this as one of the biggest strengths the team carries this season.
“To have the depth of the lineup that we have is big,” Cruz said. “We can have the people right off the bench come in the game and nothing would change.”
Cruz and Frisbie have been named to the preseason All-WCC team. Frisbie led the league in goals, points and tied for the lead in assists in 2012. The team has been picked to finish second in the WCC by the coaches. Making another run to the playoffs will not be an easy task this year with teams on the schedule like Stanford, BYU, San Diego State, Wake Forest and Santa Clara who are all nationally ranked.
The Pilots’ next game on Merlo Field is Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. against Central Michigan.
GAME COVERAGE
The Pilots took on Marquette at home last Friday in the first game of the 2013 season. They captured a 1-0 lead in the 22nd minute of the game by senior Ellen Parker’s goal and never gave it up. Both teams took 11 shots, battling equally on defense and offense.
Merlo Field was packed with 4,571 fans; 1,700 of those were students, the largest turnout by students in UP history. These fans saw the seventh straight season-opening win for the Pilots.
Sunday the Pilots went to Eugene to play the Oregon Ducks and won 2-1 in an exhilarating overtime game. Senior forward Micaela Capelle scored the first goal of the game in the 40th minute. After just three minutes into overtime, freshman midfielder Ellie Boon scored the game-winning goal. The Villa Drum Squad and many other UP fans made the two-hour trip south to cheer on the team to victory. The crowd was fully equipped with duck hunting calls and the ever-inspiring Drum Squad.
