The University of Indianapolis women’s soccer team finished their season with nine wins, seven losses and two ties. Unfortunately, the team will not be continuing to conference due to their record on the season, but Head Women’s Soccer Coach Holly Cox said she believes the ladies finished strong and ended the season on a high note. Cox also said how proud she is of team and how excited she is to start next season already.
“We have a really young team now. We lost eight impactful seniors,” Cox said. “So this spring is going to be huge for the returners. [It will be] a good opportunity for them to get a lot of playing time against good competition [that] will hopefully set them up for success in this next coming fall.”
Senior forward Sierra Singer said this season was not the best, but that she was still proud of the team for how well they started and ended. Senior forward Stephanie Burdsall’s view on the season was similar to Singer’s, she also said the team had a rough middle but came together to make some improvements.
“ I really liked the [Quincy] game because in the years past we have really had a lot of difficulty with them,” Burdsall said. “And this year I just feel like we really clicked in that game. I think two years ago we would have never thought we would have been in the same race as them.”
In 2015, the women lost to Quincy 5-1. In 2016, they lost to them 2-0. So their tie against Quincy, this year, shows that they have improved and grown as a team, Singer said. When she came in as a freshman, she said she felt the chemistry of the team was different and that it has changed this year and the team came together to create some impressive results.
“Not only have they left their legacy here at UIndy, but they have turned this program around through their hard work, dedication and leadership,” Cox said, “and that makes me prouder than [any] wins, losses and ties.”
Burdsall said she has loved working with the coaching staff. She said that they have helped her improve her knowledge of what to do on the field and has helped build that confidence this year. Cox said she has noticed a change in the culture of the program.
“The change in culture isn’t due to me,” Cox said, “But it is due to the ladies embodying the culture and living with it day by day.”
Like the improvement that can be seen through the progression the team has made in their games against Quincy University, Burdsall and Singer hope to see the team continue to develop even as the senior class leaves. Burdsall said that she hopes the team continues to grow and thrive in the following season. Singer said she hopes to see the team maintain their positivity and not let the losses bring them down.
Although the team lost seven games this year, they won more games than they have since their season in 2011.
“One thing about this group of ladies is that they will battle until the very end, no matter what the result is, no matter what the outcome means. They will always battle until the end of season,” Cox said. “And I really do appreciate that about this group.”
