By Heather Monahan
Features Editor
Despite the women’s soccer team’s record (1-5-1) so far this season, the Bonnies continue to push forward and look to use their strengths in the coming games as conference play looms on the horizon.
“It’s tough because we’re so close and in that neighborhood and everything, yet our record shows us as being something else,” coach Steve Brdarski said. “We are our record, though.”
Brdarski said throughout their last few games, he’s noticed a few impressive aspects about his team.
“All four games, there are some things you can see we’re doing,” Brdarski said. “One, we’re competing every game. Two, we show resilience. Whether it’s jumping on top of teams or getting things back.”
Versatility is another strength the Bonnies possess, according to Brdarski.
“In seven games, we’ve played at least four or five different ways,” he said. “There hasn’t been the consistency, so they’ve adjusted pretty well to scenarios, and we’ve been able to take things away from other teams and that’s helped us.”
Scoring clearly isn’t a problem for the team either, as they have 11 goals on the season scored by six different players. In two out of the last four games, the Bonnies have scored the first goal. It’s the second half causing the trouble, according to Brdarski.
“The first 45 minutes of the last four games, we’ve been the better team, possession-wise,” Brdarski said. “The problem is we get into the second half and it’s not as crisp of a pass, it’s not as dynamic, it’s not as connected.”
To improve on this, Brdarski said the team will focus more on the last 45 minutes of practices. Another component of their upcoming training will be talking.
“We’ll do more of talking about situations,” Brdarski said. “If you’re up a goal, down a goal. What’s your attitude, what do you need to do, how do you finish the games off.”
Focus is another aspect of the game the coach says his team will be working on in their upcoming trainings.
“Two out of our last four games, we’ve given up goals with three minutes left to play, One of which tied the game, the other of which we took a defeat for. So when it comes down to it, we have to have the focus,” Brdarski said.
Brdarski said he believes the team’s struggles in the second half are the only downside to their past few games.
“We don’t play 90 minutes, and I think that’s been the only negative that’s come out of the last four games,” he said. “There have been moments we’ve made mistakes. And we’re human, so we should make mistakes. But if we were able to change a minute here and there, I think we could just as easily be (3-3-1) or (5-1-1).”
With their attacking strength already intact, Brdarski said he believes the players will be able to find success in the coming games if they work on defense as well.
“If we keep scoring goals the way we are, I have confidence we could defensively start shutting teams out and then you’re in a perfect scenario,” he said. “Every game we’ve lost has been a one-goal game. It’s just a difference maker.”
With their first conference game against St. Louis next Friday, Brdarski knows that the team is in charge of its own destiny.
“The only way we can change (our record) is because of us, not anything else,” he said. “We don’t need to capitalize on someone else’s mistakes, we need to go out there and do our own thing. Roll up our sleeves, work a little harder and grind out results.”
