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As the school year comes to an end, WTAMU spring sports wraps up for the season. But as spring athletes pack up their locker rooms, the men and women’s soccer teams are preparing for the fall season.
Both teams hit The Pitch this spring for a few informal spring games to refresh their playing skills after nearly five months off the field. While the games didn’t count for more than just a freshener, it gave a decent look into what both teams will be bringing to the field next fall.
Men’s soccer took a while to get started last season, but when they hit their groove, they went eight games straight without losing during the second half of the season. The team brought in many new players before the beginning of the season, so the year could be considered a rebuilding effort.However, the spring season showed how the team has matured and come together since the first game last fall. While the team showed untold potential, the spring season also gave Head Coach Butch Lauffer a chance to evaluate what needs to be improved upon before conference action.
“With the team going five and zero [during the spring season], it was good to build confidence but we still need to get better in certain positions that we are trying to fix,” Lauffer said.
The men’s soccer team wasn’t the only one looking good on The Pitch. Women’s soccer played in multiple spring season games to get back into the groove. The women’s team had a hard season in 2011, starting relatively strong before suffering many injuries and knocking multiple players out of numerous games.
The women’s team managed to qualify for the Lone Star Conference tournament as the lowest seed despite the injuries and even made it into the second round. However, it took an overtime effort for the LSC No. 2 ranked Midwestern State University to boot the Lady Buffs out of the postseason.
The team was successful in their spring season games, taking on many different types of teams, from college teams they’ll be playing in the fall to club teams around the area. After their struggles from last year, the Lady Buffs look forward to rebounding with a healthy team in the fall.
“I’m really excited about next season,” junior Julia Greif said. “I know that our coach, Chad Webb, has been really recruiting some good players. I know that we are getting a transfer and a few freshmen that are really going to make an impact on our program. I think that after this year and making it far in the tournament after coming in as the underdog, I think that lights the fire for next season and where we want to be when it gets to conference tournament time.”
The schedules have not been released for next season as of press time. If last year is any indication, the teams will return to The Pitch at Buffalo Sports Park in early September with the regular season going until early November.
