Although Marquette’s early exit from the NCAA College Cup last November left a sting, the women’s soccer team is more than ready to start its next chapter.
The Golden Eagles are taking part in their annual spring matches, which consist of eight games, primarily against regional schools. Marquette led off its spring slate with a 1-0 win over Notre Dame Saturday.
Coach Markus Roeders said he was anxious to get the players back on the pitch after spending the past several weeks confined to indoor practices.
“It’s not as fluid as you’d like it to be yet, but that’s just part of the process,” Roeders said. “I think this group is really eager and willing, and they’re looking forward to it. What we’re doing right now is building those foundation puzzle pieces toward the fall.”
After an impressive 2013 season that saw Marquette finish 10-0-0 in the Big East and crowned the Big East Tournament champions, the second-seeded Golden Eagles fell to Western Michigan in the first round of the College Cup.
The abrupt end to the campaign stunned players and coaches, but in Roeders’ mind, there is a point when the team should move on.
“I’ve always believed that every year you have to look at it as a new year,” Roeders said. “It’s a new opportunity. The past, we chalk that up, those experiences and memories we have, championships won. Now it’s an opportunity to win more games, to win new championships, take a new path and maybe do some things we haven’t done before.”
While Roeders prefers to let each season be independent from the others, some take a disappointing end to a season and use it as inspiration for the next fall.
“It makes us work harder,” sophomore midfielder Ann Marie Lynch said. “It drives us to be more prepared mentally and physically, because the way it ended last year was definitely a mental loss and also a physical loss.”
Marquette’s senior class was one of its strongest in team history. Maegan Kelly, Taylor Madigan, Vanessa Legault-Cordisco and Cara Jacobson were all important offensive contributors. The four combined to score 20 of the team’s 52 goals. Emily Jacobson, Katie Hishmeh and Kate Reigle were each a valuable factor on defense, allowing 2.95 shots on goal per game.
Roeders knows it will be an uphill challenge, but with incoming seniors Mary Luba (eight goals, five assists), Mady Vicker (six goals) and goalie Sofie Schunk (one goal allowed in 185 minutes) ready to lead an energetic squad, the Golden Eagles could still deal damage in the Big East.
“(The seniors) have been understudies for some time now,” Roeders said. “They will have their chance to have one more final season. We don’t need to compare them to what other groups have done in the past. They will pave their own way, so to speak. When the fall comes around I think they will really understand that ‘Hey, we’ve got one more hurrah.’”
Lynch will take her junior year as an opportunity to continue learning from the veterans so she is able to lead in a similar fashion when the time comes.
“I’m really excited because I don’t have any doubt in them, and I think they’re going to fill the shoes like any other senior class would,” Lynch said. “Might not notice it as much on the field just because it’s really hard to compete with that strong senior class from last year, but I think they’re doing a great job so far. I’m really excited to see what they can do.”
