The Cal Poly women’s soccer team finished their 2006 season with a record of 10-7-3 and a fourth place finish in the Big West Conference.
The team will get their chance to claim the title and to prove just how much they can endure once their 2007 season starts.
“In my 16 seasons here at Cal Poly, I think we are facing the most demanding pre-conference schedule that we have ever had,” head coach Alex Crozier said.
Opening day will begin on the home field with two very challenging opponents, Dayton and the Arizona. But that’s merely the beginning.
“We go on the road for three weeks playing six teams that have all been to the NCAA tournament,” Crozier said. “Our last opponent before conference will be a home match against Santa Clara, which is typically ranked in the top ten nationally.”
The Mustangs shouldn’t have any problems proving that they have what it takes to win the conference during regular season, host the Big West Tournament, win that and go deep into the NCAA Tournament, all goals Crozier hopes will be accomplished this upcoming season.
“The Big West is a very competitive league and all of the teams are our competitors,” said captain and starting goalkeeper Alli Tramel. “We will need to come out strong every game because each game could be the difference.”
Tramel knows what it takes considering she started 20 of 20 games last season. She held an average of 19 saves per game. This will be Tramel’s fourth season playing for Cal Poly.
“We have all offseason to prepare for the upcoming season,” Tramel said. “In the winter we have running and weightlifting practice and during the spring we have regular practices. It is the player’s individual responsibility to make sure they are in shape when season starts.”
When summer hits, the preparation doesn’t wear down. The girls have the option of either staying at school or heading home. If they stay at school they can continue with their strength and conditioning coach. If they choose to go home, their conditioning coach and coach Crozier design a summer workout program for them.
The Big West title will not be far out of reach as long as the team remains as strong as it was last year.
“We had a relatively young team last fall that started to play some great soccer toward the end of the season,” Crozier said. “I am looking forward to continuing what we started and watching our team grow.”
Tramel expressed likewise feelings that the players have for their coaches.
“Our coaches really care about their players and are very dedicated toward the soccer program. Not only do they want us to succeed in soccer; they push us to strive to become better people,” she said.
To the players, skill, determination and the help of a great coaching staff are not the only characteristics that will make or break the season. Teamwork and camaraderie are equally important.
“We are a very close-knit group of girls,” Tramel said. “Everyone gets along very well and we really enjoy being with each other. During the season we are each other’s family because we spend more time together than with anyone else.”
Add all that together with a little bit of confidence and you’ve got a team ready to take on any competitor who stands in their way.
“We don’t really have any one team that is our biggest competitor,” Crozier said. “We take each game one at a time and try to play our best against them. In conference we are, every year, competing for the championship, which we have won six times. Every team we play seems to bring their best game against us.”