Margaret BauerThe Wash. U. soccer women had incredible success last year, becoming University Athletic Association champions for only the second time in the University’s history. They finished last season with a 14-3-3 record but have the talent and potential to win all 18 games scheduled this year. The 16 returning players and the 12 newest additions to the team are working hard and feeling well prepared for the exciting season ahead of them.
Everyone has high hopes and expectations for the season. Last year, they made it to the second round of the NCAA tournament. Still, senior captain Stephanie Ackerman said, “We very high expectations and we’re confident that we’ll go further in the tournament than we did last year.”
Last year’s leading scorer, sophomore midfielder Meghan Marie Fowler-Finn, said confidently that the goal is “to win a national championship.”
Ackerman added, “We’re going to surprise a lot of people this year.”
The team’s performance on the field will be enhanced by their unity and spirit. “The freshmen girls get along really well and there’s a lot of us,” said freshman midfielder Kim O’Keefe. “So that will really add to our team chemistry.”
According to the upperclassmen, the freshmen already fit in perfectly. As Ackerman noted, “The freshmen are doing a great job. They stepped up right when they got here and they’re really holding their own.”
The girls also get along well off the field and are genuinely supportive of one another. “The upperclassmen have been incredibly accepting and helpful,” said O’Keefe.
“We spend a lot of time together and we’re all really close friends; that will add a lot to our chemistry on the field,” added Fowler-Finn. “Even though we lost last year’s five seniors, our seniors this year are very good leaders and players and should take over the leadership positions very well.”
The team’s goals, talent, and chemistry will hopefully earn them the conference and tournament success they deserve. There are some teams, however, that will put up a fight. “University of Chicago was the [conference] runner-up last year and they’re ranked ahead of us this year,” said Fowler-Finn. “But we still expect to beat them like we did last year.”
“All of our conference games are big games,” added Ackerman. “Emory is a big rival, and DePauw and Ohio-Wesleyan will be big games.”
Ackerman, Fowler-Finn, and O’Keefe all agreed that Wheaton College will be the most challenging non-conference team to play. O’Keefe said, “They’re a really big and physical team, but we’re going to be watching some tapes and learning their moves. Last year, we lost to them 5-0 in the first game and just 1-0 in the second game. So we’re improving, and we will definitely beat them this year.”
Wheaton College is actually their first opponent, but unfortunately the game is away. So keep your fingers crossed on Sept. 3 for women’s soccer, and come support them at their first home game on Tuesday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. against Webster University.