Women’s soccer still searching for wins

Brain McElroy / Reporter

Another loss for the Elon women’s soccer team this week marks their tenth winless game in a row. After a win in the opening game against Longwood in double overtime, the Phoenix just haven’t been able to keep the ball rolling. This weekend their opponents were the Cougars of College of Charleston, a relatively strong team with a 5-4-3 record with a 3-2-2 record in Southern Conference action.

The game was an even match for most of the first half. The first goal was off a Cougar rebound that Charleston’s Kristin Rhyne sent past Phoenix goalie Kara Zagol in the first 41 minutes. Elon stayed in it almost until the end, but the Cougars put the nail in the coffin when Rhyne struck again off of a cross field pass in the first 79 minutes. Elon had several chances to tie the game in the second half. After being out shot 12-2 in the first half, Elon came out strong, out shooting the Cougars 11-3. However, they couldn’t convert, and therefore fell short for the loss.

While their 1-9-1 record seems pretty hopeless, the record doesn’t give them justice. All of their losses have been by one goal, except a 5-0 loss against powerhouse Duke and a 3-1 loss against Wofford. Their tie came against a stronger opponent, East Carolina, and two of their losses, against Highpoint and Campbell, came in double overtime heartbreakers.

The players know that their performances don’t reflect their record. “We have shown a vast improvement overall this season. Our intensity has risen and we are smarter, more tactical players. Every game we play is competitive,” says junior mid-fielder Gillian Murray.

Head coach Matt Clark agrees. “We had two immediate goals coming into the season and unfortunately we accomplished them both,” Clark says. “They were to reduce the amount of shots we give up and increase the amount of shots we take.” While they ultimately succeeded in reaching their goals, they haven’t been able to put up the numbers to go along with this goal. The College of Charleston game, for example had good opportunities spoiled by a fantastic save on one hand, and better positioning by the opponent on another. It’s not like the Phoenix aren’t getting good looks, which is the most important part of a team’s offense, it is the execution the team needs to work on, and with more opportunities will come better execution.

While many teams would give up on a year like this and focus on the upcoming seasons, Clark and his team know there still is hope. “If we can get some wins this weekend, against Georgia Southern and the Citadel, we’re right back in it,” Clark says. “With some wins or some ties in the later games, there is no reason why we can’t make it [to the SoCon championships].”

However, since the season up to this point hasn’t been as successful as they would have liked, they are focusing on their upcoming seasons as well. The Phoenix have stepped up their recruitment, scouting for girls in the next two classes. This aggressive recruitment style will hopefully, Clark says “bring a higher quality player to Elon.” While this season isn’t over yet, let’s hope these higher quality players will bring higher quality seasons to the women’s soccer team in the next few years.