Before the women’s soccer team’s blowout score of 3-0 against Central College on Wednesday, the energy was palpable in the locker room, with old rituals getting the team ready to kick off a strong season with new players.  

“A lot of the returning players are really stepping up and maturing as players which, along with strong first-years, make being a member of the team really exciting,” said Cynthia Dominguez ’12.  “A big goal this year was to make the first-years feel welcome, which we second-years did last year with the first-years, and wanted to work on more this year.” 

The Pioneers started their training during the summer with a fitness program that got the women prepared and excited to play. With six first-years and strengthened upperclassmen, two-a-day practices during preseason helped the team bond and learn to function as a solitary unit.   

“The 6:30 a.m. practices were really positive for the team,” said Dylan O’Donoghue ’11. “It gave us a lot of energy going into the preseason and made the team stronger.”

Another team-building activity was the Youth Soccer Clinic the women led on Saturday, Aug. 28. With a spirit of generosity and genuine excitement to play soccer, the team produced a high-intensity preseason that led to a very successful first game that integrated all the new players.  Two first-years, Patty Murphy-Geiss ’14 and Mackenzie Shanahan ’14, each scored a goal along with Dominguez in the season opener.

“We’ve got an edge going into conference,” said Coach Benning, “Because we didn’t make it to conference last year, and no one really knows about our program this year.”