By Gavin Lindahl
Staff Writer
The women’s soccer team went into Thursday’s match after winning its previous two games. The squad claimed a win in front of the home crowd in a 4-3 overtime victory against the University of Rhode Island. Two days later on the road, the Bonnies closed out a game against St. Louis University with a tight, one-to-nil win.
The team’s two wins last week come after four consecutive Atlantic 10 losses.
“I think we’ve connected more as a team and as a group,” Head Coach Steve Brdarski said. “These past few games have shown that when this team is put in a situation that’s not the best, they’re going to rise to the occasion. We’ve tightened up a little more defensively in our match against Saint Louis; we had three scored against us by Rhode Island. So when we went on the road and get a shut out, it shows that you’re doing the right things.”
Junior defender Mirae Whitaker agreed that the team’s defense has led to the wins.
“I think we’ve been better connected in the back and have communicated better throughout the field,” Whitaker said. “We still have room for improvement in that area,” she added.
The wins have come at a critical point of the season. At press time, the Bonnies are sitting in the basement of the A-10 with a sub .500 record and the season more than halfway over. Brdarski is hopeful that these wins have bonded the team, whcih is starting to click.
Two players who have been leading the team consistently on the scoresheet are senior forwards Abby Maiello and Lauren Hill. At least one member of the duo has recorded a point in the past five matches leading up to yesterday’s game against Davidson College.
Lauren Hill, who notched the game winners against Rhode Island and St. Louis was named A-10 player of the week. She shared the honor with St. Joseph University’s Emily Gingrich. For Brdarski, Hill and Maiello’s play is business as usual for the pair.
“Their play has been a definition of roles. Our team understands what kind of players they are and expects [them to perform like they have],” Brdarksi said. “Because of that, the team has really supported them by getting them the ball, setting them up at the right time and in the right spots. We’ve defined roles as a team, and they understand theirs; they create the attack and generate opportunities, and they’ve done that.”
In addition to the consistency of Hill and Maiello and the transition into normalcy for the rest of the squad, the Bonnies can also boast a clean bill of health for the first time since before conference play. The squad was expected to be at full health at press time, returning its last injured player before yesterday’s match. This is something Brdarski is optimistic about helping the team maintain success.
The squad’s next match will be Sunday against Dayton University. The kickoff between the Bonnies and the Flyers is set for 1 p.m. At press time, the Bonnies sit in the number-12 spot in the A-10 compared to the Flyers at fifth.
lindahg12@bonaventure.edu
