Long-range goals: women’s soccer eager to improve

Jim Swing
Assistant Sports Editor

There are two things VCU women’s co-head coaches Tiffany and Tim Sahaydak want their team to improve on in the 2010 season: looking organized defensively and finishing opportunities.

With the addition of 12 new recruits for the 2010 season, the Rams should have a great opportunity to do just that.

“We’re excited about our new players; they bring new energy and talent to the team,” coach Tiffany Roberts Sahaydak said. “They have worked really hard over the summer and meshed well with our returners during preseason testing.”

Hard work is already showing it can pay off for the Rams in the start of the 2010 season with an impressive 2-1 win over Longwood, with freshman forward Bex Kunz recording four shots on net along with the games opening goal. In the win over Longwood, VCU got their first chance to utilize depth in which they’ve lacked in previous years, making multiple substitutes throughout the course of the game.

“It’s a huge difference to have depth in the college game and we’ve never had that luxury so we are definitely using it,” Sahaydak said. “It’s a huge advantage if you have depth and it makes practice competitive because now players are competing for playing time.”

The Rams transitioned from competitive play on the practice field to competitive play on game day this past weekend when they participating in the JMU Invitational against Big East powerhouses Villanova and St. John’s.

VCU faced Villanova in the first game of the invitational and proved that they can compete with the best holding the game at a 1-1 tie up until a late goal in the 85th minute by Villanova to win the game.

In the 55th minute and down by one goal, junior defender Molly Allen was given a red card for obstruction leaving the Rams with only 10 players for the remainder of the game. Freshman goalkeeper Megan Lynch was able to step up and make the save on the penalty shot keeping VCU within one goal. In the 75th minute sophomore Bre White broke through the defense and beat the Wildcat keeper for her first collegiate goal to even the game.

“We never like to lose but we take a lot of positives from this game,” Sahaydak said. “I was thrilled by the way we fought, we showed a lot of grit and heart.”

On Sunday the Rams faced St. John’s without help from freshman Sami Kuykendall (sprained MCL), Allen (red card) and Jessica McNamara (slight concussion), but were able to draw a 0-0 tie, making their record 1-2-1. Keeper Megan Lynch was stellar once again producing four saves on 11 shots faced and recording her first collegiate shutout.

With quite arguably the two toughest teams on the schedule under their belt the Rams have set their goals one step at a time for the remainder of the season.

“Our first goal is to be in the top four of the conference so we can make the playoffs and then we will re-evaluate our goals,” Sahaydak said. “Winning a championship will always be in the back of our minds.”

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