Freshman goalkeeper Allie Greco watches fellow goalkeeper practice.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
The fall is here as the 2024 Marlins Women’s Soccer team heads into their season with high expectations despite losing multiple seniors this past year. After tying the University of Mary Washington this past weekend by a score of 1-1, the Marlins currently sit with a record of 0-2-2, as of Sept. 17.
It is safe to say that this is not where the team wants to be after going into the preseason ranked No. 12 nationally, and No. 1 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC). But, it is early in the season as the Marlins are still over a week away from in-conference games.
The roster has changed a significant amount this year compared to the last with many players graduating this past spring. Senior Kaitlyn Duswalt gave her input on the transition from last year to this season.
“Having 11 players graduate, and about eight of those being starters, we are figuring out how to play together as a new group,” Duswalt said.
The team being so new together has led to a few mistakes in some key moments from the first few matches.
“Against UT Dallas, we competed neck and neck, only letting in two late goals from set pieces. The small moments of disorganization led to us giving up these goals,” Duswalt said.
Duswalt believes that the first few matches are all a part of the learning curve and that it can only keep getting better. “We have been working on our formation, and communication, along with figuring out which combinations of players are strongest and who works best with whom,” Duswalt said.
Besides changes in the field, the Marlins also have a new full-time starting goalie this season. Graduate student Ashleigh Lockard is focused solely on winning the ODAC championship and beyond. “There has been a lot of talk about us losing 11 seniors, two All-Americans and eight starters. I want everyone to realize that we are still a great team with a lot of talent,” Lockard said.
Freshman Molly Sheehan strikes the ball.
McKenna Howenstine|Marlin Chronicle
The Marlins are the reigning ODAC champions and are going for their third title in just four years. “My sister sent me a quote that reads, ‘It’s not what you did last year, it’s what you are going to do this year that is more important,’” Lockard said. Lockard believes a national championship is within reach for the program after falling to Christopher Newport University last year in the Sweet 16. The two teams rematched in the Marlins’ first game of the season which resulted in a 0-0 tie. Lockard believes that even with a newly arranged squad, they can get back to the tournament and win the whole thing. “We have a lot of potential and depth. Once we learn how to play with each other and build our team chemistry, we will be tough to stop,” Lockard said.
“I took my COVID year so that I could have a chance to play and accomplish this dream of mine to win the national championship. But it is one game at a time. One play at a time,” Lockard said. Graduate student Camille Jernigan believes that the early offensive struggles will start to go away with time despite the team scoring just one goal in the first three games. “I think we’ve been getting a little unlucky with finishing our chances, and we need a little more confidence in ourselves to finish those chances,” Jernigan said.
The Marlins have outshot their opponents by a total of 41-34 through the first three games. “It all starts at the top. If we press and win the ball and can keep it in their half, we are going to keep generating those opportunities to score along with keeping the ball out of our half,” Jernigan said.
The team has only allowed three goals through the first three games and Jernigan would like to take some of that pressure off of the defense moving forward. While the team’s aspirations are high, Jernigan is trying to keep a steady mind and not get too far ahead. “The goal is to win the NCAA tournament, but we don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves,” Jernigan said.
Even with the slow start, the confidence remains high. The focus now turns to an out-of-conference matchup against Salisbury University on Wednesday at 7 pm and against Trinity University (Texas) this Sunday at 1 pm. These are the final out-of-conference matches before ODAC games begin.
By: Coy Camiscioli
