According to Coach Mader, Practices have been going really well. "We weren't sure what to expect with this being our first season, but I am happy with how hard the team is working and how well they're bonding together. We keep getting better each day which is all we can ask for!"
The start of their inaugural season will feature a demanding schedule, including two back-to-back series and their first conference game, giving them five games in 9 days. However, if they can mentally and physically make it through that stretch, they will set themselves up for a pretty good season.
When asked about the performance of her top student-athletes, Coach said "Honestly, even though this is only our first year, we have quite a few players who I think will make people take some notice this year. Karma Valentine is a dynamic player who's got speed and skill, and she will be as fun to watch as she is to coach. Sammy Calderon-Rodriguez has an unmatched work ethic when she is on the field. Katie Burnett will make things tough for opponents, whether in the goal or on the field. Aerial Edwards will bring maturity, patience, and direction to our defense. And Araceli Culp and Bella Landers are great defenders who will also help up the field in our attack. That's probably more than you were looking for, and I think we have some others who will still surprise us as the season goes on – this will be a fun group!"
2022 is Mader's first season as a head coach and our first season having a women's soccer program at SPSCC. She is so excited for this group to make a name for themselves and to lay the groundwork for the culture that will be around years after they are gone. They are doing a great job embracing the team mentality, and they are an incredibly coachable group saying, "we've made giant leaps in just three days of practice so far, and it's going to be fun to see each week how we continue to improve."
Two-a-day practices can be a grind, but the team has brought a lot of energy and continues working hard. Coach Schultz said, "It is fun to see a group of men from different countries and backgrounds come together and develop good team chemistry quickly."
Men's soccer starts fast with three scrimmages by August 10th. Coach is excited to have a scrimmage with a local 4-year school when we play Evergreen State College on August 10th and welcomes the challenge that will present. They will then attend the NWAC Friendlies, followed by a doubleheader trip to finish off August, so it will be a busy first month!
Schultz shared the following regarding returning student-athletes, "As a returning All-Conference player, Josh Coetzee has been a standout and good leader. We've also added some talented attacking players like Mohammed Sesay and Alonzo Ogaldez that have quickly developed chemistry together on the practice field."
When asked about the transition from coaching at the high school level to the collegiate level, Coach Schultz shared the following: "The transition was swift. I am lucky to have two assistants who have been through the college season and understand the process. Recruiting and signing players in the spring was a lot of fun, being able to hand pick some players. In training so far, it has just been exciting to watch a different level of play from high school and have a group of players that train harder than what I have had in most high school coaching environments."
When discussing the upcoming season Coach Kuaea said, "The First week of our season has been great! The student-athletes have built chemistry on and off the court, and the main focus is going back to fundamentals and staying disciplined."
The focus for the upcoming stretch of the season is to continue progressing every week so they can become a stronger unit as conference play approaches. Coach shared the following regarding standout athletes, "Our player of the week, freshmen Valeana Dumakilewe stepped into the gym Monday morning, ready to go. She passed her fitness test with flying colors, is highly coachable, and by the end of the week, she was doing everything and more that we asked from her."
Sophomores Jennifer Tuimaseve, Layne Martin, and Emily Snider have taken on the leadership role for their team right away and guided the incoming student-athletes as they transitioned into collegiate student-athletes.