Milligan Women’s Soccer has begun its first official season under new head coach Alyssa Whitehead. Along with a new coach, nine of the 26 rostered girls are freshmen. With so many new players as well as a new coach, the team has been adjusting as they prepare for conference play.
For those who played under former coach Lisa Buckley, this year is a big shift. Sophomore Brenna Henderson sees the most change in the individual roles filled by each player.
“Though we were a disciplined team last year, I think this time around we have been given more personal responsibility, which everyone has stepped up to,” Henderson said.
With the large incoming class and new atmosphere, the team has also been able to build a new sense of comradery throughout the start of the season.
“All of the older girls have really adopted us like sisters,” said Emma True, a freshman on the team. “The support system they have created in the short time we have been here is incredible, and I am so thankful for it.”
This newly found team chemistry certainly helped the Lady Buffs in their season opener against Warren Wilson College on Aug. 28. They defeated the Owls 5-0, with five different players finding the back of the net. However, the Buffs still have progress to make after a 2-0 loss to Thomas More University on Sept. 4. Despite the loss, the game was a good test of their depth as 19 of the 26 players saw field time.
“I think having a large incoming class is kind of hard for some of the older players because we are all new and we have to adapt to each other,” said freshman Autumn Daniels, “but I think it has helped by giving us a more diverse range of players with different playing styles, which can easily set us up for success in upcoming games”.
So far, both of the games played by the Lady Buffs have been against teams outside of the Appalachian Athletic Conference. That changes Friday when Milligan hosts Tennessee Wesleyan to kick off conference play. Last year the team won 6 of their 11 conference games.
In other Milligan sports, the men’s and women’s cross country teams travelled to Appalachian State on Friday. Men finished 6th of 13 teams and the women finished 5th. On Saturday, the men’s soccer team beat Dalton State at home 3-1.
Blurb: With a large incoming class and a new coach, the Lady Buffs are learning to adapt and strengthen connections as they approach conference games.
Headline Photo: While many were unsure of how the team’s dynamic would play out this year, multiple players now see their teammates as family.