Author: Emily Phillips
After a bittersweet end to their season last fall-where the Tigers competed in the SCIAC Tournament for the first time in Oxy history only to lose in a shoot-out in the final game-the women’s soccer team is getting ready for a new season full of old rivalries.
Preseason play for the team has been a much different experience than in past years, with less time to practice, new workouts and a new coaching structure.
In the past, soccer tryouts have consisted of a week of training with two practices per day. Because of scheduling conflicts with classes and orientation, the team was only able to fit in three double training days, as opposed to five last year. It was “far from an ideal situation, especially for freshmen trying to attend all of orientation and still get to enough training sessions to make an impact on selection,” Head Coach Colm McFeely said. Despite the unusual training schedule, the Tigers have found time to practice between 10 and 14 hours per week.”Preseason here is not the boot-camp it is at other schools,” Charla Holdren (first-year) said.
However, some are having more difficulty adjusting to the demands of Oxy Soccer after a relaxing summer. First-years Claire Willing and Alexandra McHenry were both surprised by the time commitment the program requires.
“Soccer preseason consumes my life!” defender Adrienne Daniels (sophomore) said. “On a typical day, I will grab a quick breakfast, head to a morning practice for about two hours, then return to my dorm to shower and take a nap. After lunch, it is back up to the upper fields to train some more.”
A first-time pool workout consisting of timed intervals of treading water, sprinting in place and some kicking exercises, plus an inspirational speech from Oxy alum Trevor Moawad spiced up this year’s preseason for the Tigers.
This preseason has helped “boost morale and positivity so we’re not just playing soccer 24/7,” Chelsey Brack (junior) said.The biggest change made to the soccer program this year is the coaching structure. From 2002 to 2007, Colm McFeely was the head coach of both the men’s and women’s soccer teams. During this time, the Oxy Soccer program was the only SCIAC soccer program to have one coach for both teams. The reason behind having a shared Head Coach was financial, but the program has taken steps to change this.
“It has been my contention for some time that our student-athletes would have a more fulfilling experience by having one coach with them at all times,” Colm said. “This move makes a lot of sense for the future of both programs.” Many of the players agree.
“With having one head coach for each team, the coach can really devote all of his efforts and energy on improving his respective team,” Emily Niklaus (sophomore) said. With seven new first-years on the team this year, the women’s program is looking to build on their success from last season and to keep pushing for improvement.
“This class of first-years, like the two before them, will certainly impact the program,” Assistant Coach and Oxy alum Megan MacDonald said. According to Captain Starlie Chinen (senior), this year’s preseason has been “a lot about learning how to play with one another.” The team’s goals are to win SCIAC, to make it to the NCAA tournament and to focus on team unity. Much of this unity will come from a large junior class that will be leaders this season, including Captain Marci Kang (junior).
“I hope the captains know when to be demanding,” Moe Kishida (junior) said, “because sometimes you need to be harsh on your teammates to make them better.”
Kicking off the season with the annual alumni game, which they won 4-1, but fell in their pre-season opener 4-0 to Vanguard. The Tigers are looking forward to their next competitive game against Hope International on Sept. 13.
This season, the Tigers are seeking revenge on Cal Lutheran, who beat Oxy in last year’s conference finals, and Claremont, which was the only team Oxy did not beat last regular season.
According to the team, players to watch this season are Jesi Sasaki (sophomore), who earned First Team All-SCIAC and SCIAC Player of the Year awards as a forward lastfall, and Nicole Findlay (junior), a defender for the Tigers. The team also listed Corinne Winkler (sophomore), Carly Wachi (junior) and Robin Feldman (sophomore), who will take over as goalie for the Tigers, as strong players.
“We would love to see more fans come out and support the teams,” Colm said. “It makes a difference.”
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