Tommies Soccer Teams return to the pitch with playoff aspirations
Both St. Thomas University (STU) Soccer teams returned to home turf for the first weekend of the semester.
The squads welcomed the Dalhousie Rams and the Holland College Hurricanes for an exciting doubleheader.
Last season ended on a sour note for both Tommies Soccer teams. The Men's squad bowed out of the playoffs following a 1-0 defeat to the UNBSJ Seawolves. Meanwhile, the Women's Tommies finished the season one point shy of the playoffs.
Fast forward to this season. The squads are focused on continuing their growth and bringing a championship back to Fredericton.
Delaney Hancock is a co-captain for the Women's Team. The fourth-year winger saw the home opener weekend as a "really strong start" for the team. Coming out of the gates with a strong offensive performance made her excited for the games ahead.
At the same time, she wants the team to take things "one game at a time."
"We know what our tendencies are and where we can make mistakes and we're doing our best to grow from those this year," she said. "One bad weekend doesn't derail our season. One bad weekend doesn't define it.
STU began the season with a 7-1 statement win against Dalhousie. The team controlled the first half, scoring five unanswered goals. STU carried the momentum into the second half.
Meanwhile, Sunday's game was much closer. Hancock opened the scoring with a rebound minutes before the half. The Hurricanes equalized moments later. Teams exchanged goals during the second half. Caitlyn Steeves bagged the winner off a penalty in extra time. STU defeated Holland College 3-2.
Getting a pair of victories was a nice way to open the new campaign. However, Hancock feels the team still has areas to learn and improve.
"We've had strong starts in the past and then we've let that get in our heads. So, we can celebrate the wins, but we have to wipe it clean and have a fresh start," she said. "Our goal is to play on Sunday at playoffs. And I think we have the experience, talent and the grit to make it there."
Kaleigh Roberts is an assistant coach of the Women's team in charge of defensive organization. The former player is entering her first season in the position. Roberts played with STU for five seasons.
She was impressed with how the team took the tactics from training and applied them "very close to perfectly."
STU had not beaten Holland College on home soil in over four years.
"The girls have confidence and they know they can do well against tougher teams," said Roberts. "What's going to determine the results … is how they take that confidence and apply it to the rest of the season."
STU's Women's team brought in eight new faces during the offseason. The newcomers join a roster that includes established veterans and rising stars.
Roberts felt the class of newcomers is "really strong." Each player is willing to fight for their place on the field. At the same time, the team is starting to gel and become a close-knit group, which she feels is the nature of preseason.
"Our roster is a good mix of senior players that are leading the pack," she said. "And then we have some strong rookies that can be leaders in their own way.
Meanwhile, STU's Men's team achieved similar results. The team defeated Dalhousie 4-0 on Saturday.
Sunday's match against Holland College ended in a 1-0 win. Newcomer Henri Doucet put home a free kick into the bottom right corner midway through the second half to seal victory.
STU opened their season on September 13 with a 2-2 road draw against Crandall.
Miles Pinsent is the head coach of the Men's Soccer team. He is in his second season with the team.
Pinsent described the first three games as a "mixed bag." He sees potential in the team, despite still having work to be done.
"We are creating numerous opportunities, but we're not burying enough. There's different ways to create goals," he said. "And quite often, finishing those chances is the final piece of the puzzle."
Training camp this season was different from his first go-around with the team. From day one, Pinsent emphasized the experience as being a "learning process."
STU welcomed several new faces during the offseason. New players were recruited who both fit the style of play and filled in required positions. Pinsent feels the newcomers contributed to the lineup right away.
"We talked about having that growth mindset where no matter the scores, we're going to look at our performances and pick the areas we feel we're doing well and where we need to continue to get better," he said. "We want to make sure that we're playing our best soccer in those do-or-die games in October."
Aidan Lavery is a co-captain of the Men's team. The fourth-year centerback is someone who Pinsent will rely on to provide veteran leadership and experience this season.
Lavery felt the team had a "rocky start" to the season. Drawing to Crandall was a wake-up call, as the match exposed where the team may need to improve.
Meanwhile, the home opener weekend helped show the team their strengths.
Still, Lavery is confident heading into the season. Despite the challenges of being a thinner squad, he is a fan of the identity and system the team has built under Pinsent in his second season.
"We’ve started to implement his ideas and build an identity as a team," he said. "I think it'll help us out."
Lavery hopes the team can "ride the high" of earning six points during the home opener weekend. He also wants to lock down a playoff spot and bring home another championship.
STU returns to Fredericton on October 4 for a date with the Crandall Chargers.
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