After a winless fall season last year, things are looking better for the women’s soccer team.
The Pride finished their 2022 season with a 0-18-1 record. This season, the team has already won two games and has a 2-1-1 record, the best start in program history.
Lauryn Tillmon, one of 10 seniors or grad students on the team, has seen almost everything in her four years on the squad. But she admits the historic opening week is unfamiliar territory.
“[This start] means a lot [to me],” she said. “It has been something that we had to build as a program and as individuals. To see it come into fruition and to get some wins under our belt is exciting.”
Tillmon credits this promising start to the hard work of the coaches.
“It is just a different mindset at practice,” she said. “I think we focus a lot on positional [needs], so everyone knows what they have to do and what their role is on the field.”
The hot start is led by veteran players like Tillmon, who are hungry for success.
“The biggest difference between this season and last … is that our returners came back better,” said Nicki Rucki, assistant women’s soccer coach. “[They are] ready to get some respect for PNW women’s soccer. These women want to build something bigger than themselves, and they want to leave the program better than they found it.”
Another top returner has been senior forward Kaci Pampreen, who earned GLIAC player of the week honors after her first few games.
She has led the team in goals, single-handedly scoring as many goals during her first week of competition as the entire team scored last year: Four.
Beyond its returning veterans, women’s soccer has a roster of eager freshmen.
“We have a very strong freshman class,” said Rucki. “Our freshman goalkeeper Meta Fischer is off to a great start. She is on her way to breaking the previous record for most shutouts in a season, which was two.She has already matched that.”
“[Midfielder] Addison Thomas and [defender] Sarah Scaling are a dynamic duo on and off the field,” she said. “Not only are we expecting big things from them this season, but they are also helping shape a competitive and fun culture on our team.”
Alongside the promising freshman class, the Pride made a splash in the transfer portal as well.
“Amaris Gonzalez is a junior transfer who put up 70 goals at her previous junior college,” Rucki said. “Not only is she a team player, but she’s a crowd favorite. As she adjusts to the pace of the D2 game she will do big things.”
Even fans may be surprised that the women’s Pride team has been able to pull together a string of wins this early in the season. Rucki said that is a function of the team’s grit.
“One of our team mottos is ‘Us vs Them’,” she said. “This team understands that nothing will be given to us, we have to earn it. As we continue to embody that mindset our program will only get better.”
