The women’s soccer team will be taking on the Furman Paladins for the first time in UA soccer history this Saturday.
Though the Crimson Tide has entered the 2010 season on a five-game losing streak based on last season’s results, they will be playing the Paladins after two back-to-back wins this season against in-state rivals Samford and UAB.
“I’m pleased with the wins but not close to being satisfied,” head coach Todd Bramble said. “We haven’t seen close to what we are capable of.”
Last weekend was the first time the Tide had ever beaten UAB on its campus. The women’s soccer team lost to both UAB and Samford with a combined score of 5-0 last season.
This week the team has been preparing for Furman by working on noticeable errors from their last two games. The team has focused mainly on switching the point of attack and playing simple in the middle. The team is also adjusting to the transition from defense to offense and reducing the number of goals scored by their opponent.
Since this weekend is the first time the team has ever played Furman, they are preparing for a tough run.
“We have to go out with the same mentality, maybe a little more,” senior Rosaly Petriello said.
Including the two preseason exhibitions and two soccer matches already played this season, the Tide has scored a total of nine goals. Last year, the team scored 14 goals over the course of the entire season.
Standout senior Brooke Rodgers has led the team in the past two games by finding the net and scoring two of the three goals for the Tide. Both goals were within the first 10 minutes of play.
“Brooke is a senior that is doing everything she can to finish her career,” Bramble said.
Along with concentrating on play, the team already has great chemistry on and off the field.
“Our team chemistry is at an entirely new level,” Rodgers said. “No one is ready to settle with what’s already happened. Everyone has a great attitude.”
Before every game, the team sets goals and consistently the team’s main priority is getting within the top five at the SEC Tournament, where 11 other SEC schools will be competing for spots in the NCAA Tournament.
Even though the season is young, the team feels Bramble and the rest of the staff have been supportive.
“They have prepared us mentally, physically, emotionally and psychologically every day on and off the field,” Petriello said.
Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. Saturday at the Alabama Soccer Complex next to the Student Recreational Center.
