The women’s soccer team returns to action this fall looking to build on the consistent growth it has seen in the past seasons. Coach Tim Champion returns several starters including sophomore standout Julia Bradenberg, last year’s winner of the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year award. After bowing out to Illinois in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament, this squad has its sights set on a deeper run into the postseason. A talented recruiting class and a deep roster of 37 players have the Billikens confident that a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament is in the realm of the possibility.
If there is one thing that could keep this team from pushing through its non-conference schedule, it’s the injury bug. Days before the first preseason game, Bradenberg went down with a back injury and could miss up to six weeks.
During her expected rehabilitation process the Bills face Pennsylvania and traditional powerhouses Ohio State and Southern Methodist. Getting off to a strong start without Bradenberg will be imperative for this squad.
Overall though, early indications have been positive. The squad rolled past Evansville, 6-1, in its first exhibition game of the season. After falling behind early, senior Mary Green put the Bills on the board, curling a deep shot into the upper right corner. Moments later, freshman Alyssa Mautz battled through a group of defenders and blasted a shot past the Aces’ goalie to give SLU a 2-1 advantage.
“Older players can offer some leadership from experience, but our team isn’t segregated by class this year, so it’s just about whoever wants to step up,” Green said. “It’s not like the seniors have to lead; everyone is equal.”
Sophomore Kelly Waeckerle took advantage of miscues by the Evansville defense, scoring back-to-back goals only minutes apart. Mautz added her second goal of the game and Bills had stretched the lead to 5-1. Senior Cassi Winchell got in the scoring mix with a goal off a volley from freshman Caitlin Werkmeister to put the match out of the reach. This margin would be the final score as the Bills’ took their first exhibition match, 6-1.
The Bills closed out their exhibition season with a match against in-state rival Missouri. Sophomore Susan Frederickson got the Bills on the scoreboard with a tally to open the second half. The squad held the 1-0 advantage for most of the half before yielding the eventual game-tying score with only three minutes left.
Despite the tie, the Bills were encouraged by the play of several freshman who will see significant playing time this season. The squad will lean on experienced leaders in Winchell and Waeckerle and will get a big boost when Bradenberg returns from her injury. Green remained optimistic about the cohesion of the team.
“I think the key to this season will be team bonding and figuring out how to work well with each other on the field. We have a lot of new freshmen and sophomores returning, so working together on the same page is essential.
“We need to make sure that on the field, we figure out everyone’s strengths and weaknesses, and with time, I think we’ll get used to our teammates’ style of play,” she said.
The Bills open their regular season on the road this weekend, traveling east to oppose Pennsylvania in Philadelphia with a 6:00 p.m. kickoff on Friday night. They then travel to Columbus to take on perennial power Ohio State with kickoff slated for 4:30 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.
