Bobcats break records

Records are made to be broken, and that is precisely what the women’s soccer team has spent their sophomore season doing.

The team is off to a 8-3-0 start, already compiling more wins and scoring more goals than they accumulated in the entirety of their inaugural season in 2004. The team has outscored themselves 28 to 16 and has already surpassed their previous record of 5-10-2.

Head Coach Robert Parr said recruitment of players and training have contributed to the team’s improvement.

“We’ve had more time to recruit players to fill holes,” Parr said. “It’s hard to get it right the first time. Soccer has so many complexities.”

Parr’s team also faced the challenge of having nothing to build on.

“When I arrived here on campus, we didn’t have a player, we didn’t have a ball, we didn’t have a field. We didn’t even have a uniform or an e-mail address,” Parr said. “To go from first having nothing to having a team that can compete with the best anywhere is not a trivial process.”

The team compiled a 7 game winning streak before falling 3-2 in overtime to USC Pembroke Wednesday.

Parr said the conference match-up loss was a difficult loss that the team will have to overcome quickly.

“I think we will respond to this loss favorably. I can look in the eyes of these players and see they took (this loss) personally. That’s important,” Parr said. “It’s going to be a busy and challenging weekend. Anyone from here on out is going to be tough.”

USC Pembroke Head Coach Lars Andersson said he expects to see GC&SU again at the end of the season in the PBC tournaments.

“I look forward to it and dread it at the same time,” Andersson said.

The Bobcats are currently 3-1 in PBC contests, with victories over USC Upstate, USC Aiken and North Georgia. The team went only 1-5-2 in Peach Belt contests last year.

Sophomore and outside left midfielder Emily Norris said one of the team’s biggest victories this season came during a match-up against USC Upstate.

“The best part of the season so far for me was definitely when we beat USC Upstate. They were ranked number one in the conference and we were not expected to win that game,” Norris said. “It felt so good to finally be recognized and to get some respect from other people for all of our hard work the past two months.”

Sophomore defender Alex Stover said the chemistry of the team in addition to hard work has led the team to where they are at this point in the season.

“I think a big contribution to the success of our season is that we are a pretty close team. We hang out a lot and trust each other, and that carries onto the field,” Stover said. “There isn’t one person on that field that I do not trust. Last year we weren’t as close, and I think that was one of out major problems for not doing as well as we could.”

Parr said the team hopes to rank in the top four teams in the PBC so they will be eligible to host a playoff game.

“We’re a lot more focused and composed than we’ve been before,” Parr said. “This team knows what it means to compete.”

Parr said the willingness of players to stand behind each other has helped lead the team to where it is today. He said senior midfielder Mindy Crow has been a key component to the team as a player who is willing and capable of coming off the bench mid-way through the game.

“Every team needs someone who can be ready to play after 20 to 25 minutes,” Parr said. “She’s really done a terrific job of adjusting to that role.”

Crow said she believes it is important to fulfill the role the team needs and remain positive.

“I think it’s important to just be positive for your team,” Crow said. “I want my teammates to want me on the team.”

While Parr said the season is off to a good start, he said it is important not to loose focus.

“The biggest thing now is how to finish up,” Parr said. “Last year we started off well and ended up with a long winningless streak; we don’t want to be there.”

The team will be graduating players for the first time this year, including Tami Pissott, Michelle Parr and Mindy Crow. Parr said this is an important milestone for the team.

“We’re here to win as many games as we can, but ultimately, the players are here to get their degree,” Parr said.

The team has five remaining regular season games, including four PBC contests against Lander, Columbus State, Clayton State and Armstrong Atlantic State. For a detailed schedule visit the InfoPage.
Home games are played at the Bobcat Soccer Field at West Campus and admission is free.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Oct 14 2005. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry