Defending home field for the first time against ACC competition, the women’s soccer team faces-off against No. 14 Virginia tonight at Dail Soccer Field. The team has gone 5-2-1 in non-conference play. The Pack, falling to UNC-Charlotte 1-0 Sunday, looks to get organized on the field, according to coach Steve Springthorpe.
“We just need to try to be organized — something we need for Virginia,” Springthorpe said. “With Virginia’s high power offense and very seasoned team we need to make sure defensively we have got things organized.”
Gaining non-conference victories, home and away, has given State the confidence to succeed, yet those victories are meaningless now that ACC competition is underway, according to senior midfielder Meredith Parrillia.
“Whatever we did in non-conference play really gets thrown out the window now,” Parrillia said. “It’s great to win non-conference — especially with the competition we have had this year, but as far as ACC standings, that means absolutely nothing.”
Junior midfielder Jess Herrmann credits the team’s early success to the new attitude Springthorpe has brought to the team.
“We have been coming together, as a team, a lot more than we have in the past,” Herrmann said. “We play for each other — we have never practiced as hard as we do this year and I think that’s a big impact on the way we play.”
Virginia, ranked 14th, has gone unbeaten during the past seven games and has outscored the Pack since 1995. Regardless, the team remains excited and optimistic according to Herrmann.
“Everyone’s up,” Herrmann said. “We know what we have to do and we are playing so much better — harder and stronger — and hopefully we can come out with a win.”
The team has had lots of preparation time for this match-up according to Springthorpe. He has been working on specifics with the team, both offensively and defensively.
“We have been preparing for [Virginia] all last week,” Springthorpe said. “We had a good seven days without matches to cover a lot of things going into the Charlotte game — actually implementing some things we plan on using against Virginia.”
With Virginia’s steady offense, the Pack needs to stay composed according to Herrmann.
“We have to stay composed because if we don’t then what has happened in previous years will continue to happen,” Herrmann said. “We have to keep our defense tight.”
Battling it out against conference competition as the season gets underway, State is really looking to regain recognition throughout the ACC, Parrillia said.
“We are really looking forward to showing teams that we are a new team,” Parrillia, who has started every game, said. “Are we going to go undefeated and never [lose] a game? That would be awesome but I’m not too sure about that. But we are definitely looking to improve and I think everyone’s excited about that, especially with two home games this week.”
Playing at home, on campus, is still a new feeling for the women’s soccer team. According to Parrillia, she never knew what home field advantage was before Dail Soccer Fields opened this season.
“I didn’t realize how much home field advantage really does help,” Parrillia said. “Now that we have had such a big crowd, I can say it really does make a difference on the field.”
