Soccer Spring Match Review
4/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
April 3, 2014
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The Stephen F. Austin Ladyjack soccer team has looked poised and dominant through two matches already this spring, defeating Navarro College 4-0 on Mar. 22 and SMU 3-0 on Mar. 30 in their respective matches.
“As we go into our spring games, it has been exciting for the girls to line up against somebody else and go live,” head coach Wally Crittenden said. “When you get to go up against another team that has their own game plan to come out and try to stop you from doing what you want to do it forces you to have to work a little harder and we want to push our team to be their best.”
SFA, after its initial opener with TCU was cancelled, traveled to Navarro for its first match of the spring. The Ladyjacks, looking to avenge a 3-2 loss to the Bulldogs last spring, struck early and often in the 4-0 win, highlighted by sustained periods of possession, great cooperative play and an overall competitive mentality. NC was coming off one of its best seasons in program history, advancing to the NJCAA National Championship game and finishing 19-4-1 in 2013.
After the match with the Bulldogs, SFA had a week of rest before taking on SMU at the SFA Soccer Field. The match brought Mustang assistant coach Nicole Nelson back for the first time since her departure from Nacogdoches, where she was head coach of the Ladyjacks from 2002-04. SFA handled SMU, who was coming off a 9-9 season, 3-0 with Lillie Ehlert picking up her first complete game in goal. Ehlert took a redshirt in 2013.
“I was really impressed with the way in which our players prepared for each match and handled some adversity, because each match had its own story and what was required of the players,” Crittenden said. “Then ultimately, I was happy with how the girls executed within each game to really develop and add new elements to our existing schemes and ideas. There is no doubt the work they have done with our strength coach Dan Eason in the weight room, the work they have done on their own and the work they have done on the soccer field with our coaching staff, has prepared them to have an opportunity to be really good this fall.
“From here, it is a matter of continuing to improve and fine tune. We’ve seen what we think we’re capable of and we have a good idea of where we are going to be. Now it is just a matter of going step-by-step to make sure we are prepared for the fall.”
The Ladyjacks will close out their spring schedule with the first annual Purple and White Alumni Scrimmage on Apr. 26. The match is scheduled to begin at 11:00 a.m. at the SFA Soccer Field.
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