The Harding women’s soccer team started their 2013 season, losing their first four games and struggling in the mid-season for wins. The team pulled out three back-to-back wins against Ouachita Baptist University 1-0, Southwestern Oklahoma University 1-0 and Northwestern Oklahoma University 2-1. The late season wins boosted their overall record to 5-8-1 and conference record to 4-4-0. According to head coach Greg Harris, the winning streak gave the team a major confidence boost heading into the last two games of the season and the Great American Conference Tournament.
“We are season weary, but we are reinvigorated thanks to those wins,” Harris said. “During this time of the year, whether we are winning or losing, the team is normally very tired. This year, though, we are still excited to play.”
Junior midfielder Katelyn Tschiggfrie attributes the higher level of play to the team’s hard work and dedication at practices. Tschiggfrie has not played since earlier in the season due to knee injuries. She is one of the five players that are out for the season due to injuries. Though these players do not play in the games, they still attend every game and practice.
“In the last two games especially, all the extra hard work the team is putting out at the practices and the scrimmages has just really shown and everything has just really clicked into place for us,” Tschiggfrie said. “Coming off of the three big conference wins we now realized that this is possible. There is a real chance for us to win the conference, so everyone has a ‘we want this’ kind of mindset.”
The team has yet to bring home the GAC champion title, but according to Harris, the current team has the talent and the drive to win.
“I can look across the board and honestly say I can see improvement in each one of those girls in some way,” Harris said. “They have grown as players and I feel like we have grown as a team. We’re really excited and are ready to play again.”
The women’s soccer team is scheduled to play today at 7 p.m. against East Central University on Stevens Field. The two teams met earlier in the season with the ECU tigers pulling out the win over the Bisons with a score of 3-2.
