The women’s soccer team had its opening scrimmage last Saturday with a 2-1 victory over the Asbury Alumni.
“We had a really good show out,” head coach Elyse Overton said. “Some people showed out just in their positions and obviously made some solid movement forward. We didn’t get the goals that we wanted, but the balls on frame are there.”
Although the scoring was lower than anticipated, they were able to get two goals from senior Olivia Ruckrigel with an assist from junior Hannah Pack.
Having a scrimmage before their official start of the season allows the team to see where they’re at and what might need improvement.
“We have two hard growing staples back there with Nikki Macintosh and Ashley Miller held at the center back positions,” said Overton, “but we really do need to solidify just the shape that we’re looking for.”
The scrimmage gave the women an opportunity to show off their abilities and work together. It specifically built their communication and overall effectiveness as a team, allowing the new freshman to let them see interactions and the impacts it will have on their upcoming season.
“I’m really excited about the freshman class as a whole coming in,” Overton said. “It should impact us pretty immediately.”
The alumni game has been held regularly for the past few years, and always shows a good preview to the rest of the fall. Overton added that since a lot of the graduated players are still in great shape, it benefits the current players by experiencing a “pretty top-level game.”
The Eagles are coming off of an impressive 11-6-1 season that ended with a heartbreaking loss to IU East in the final of the River States Conference tournament.
Ashley Miller expressed her anticipation for the coming year. “I’m just excited for the season after today, to finally get to play with everybody,” she said. “We have our new freshmen this year and then also just playing with the alumni was just really fun overall.”
With the knowledge and experience gained from this game, the women are scheduled to take their first official match against the Mt. St. Joseph Lions on Aug. 26.
