Soccer team ready for second season

By Ashley Izer

Missouri Western made history in 2005 by introducing the campus to a brand new woman’s soccer team, and now the women are back on campus ready to fight.

Western’s Woman’s Soccer team got off to a rocky first season with an ending record of 3-15-1 overall and 2-11-1 within the MIAA. Now the Griffon ladies are under new guidance and are ready for the challenge of the 2006 season. Not only does the team have a new leader they also have a new home field to play on located on campus at the Spratt Memorial Stadium.

One challenge begins with the fact that the team was ranked at the No. 8 slot in the Preseason Coaches Poll within the conference.

Jeff Hansen will assume the position of head soccer coach and lead the women into the fall season starting in Winona, Minn., where they will take on Winona State on Aug. 24.

This will be Hansen’s first year with the team and he has high expectations for the girls and the new season.

“You very rarely see teams that win three and then national title so you have to be realistic,” Hansen said. “We’re looking for anywhere from 8 to 12 wins in our first year.”

A key ingredient to Hansen’s successful year is that there are a total of 13 returning players from last season. The Griffons are returning three of the top scorers which includes senior Nikki Heiser, senior Melody Grayhem and sophomore Michelle Polk.

Polk will start as a forward for the Griffons and is excited about the upcoming season. Polk takes side with her new coach when it comes to the team discussing and understanding the goals they have for this season.

“We have high hopes and expectations and plan on drastically improving our win/lose record from last year,” Polk said. “It would be nice to obtain more wins than loses overall, and to develop a strong fan base.”

Polk feels that if the team can build a strong fan base it would give the team the motivation and confidence to play at a level beyond last year. By far playing well and winning are at the top of Polk’s list of priorities, but fans will always shine first.

“It really helps give us motivation and confidence on the filed knowing that our school and fellow classmates support us,” Polk said.

Polk and Hansen both feel that the team has set realistic goals that are perfectly attainable.

Hansen and the team are ready to step out onto their new home field and show the campus as well as other teams what they are made out of. He believes that this is not going to be an easy season by any means, but they as a whole are ready or it.

“They’re ready to work hard,” Hansen said.

If the Western soccer ladies are ready to work hard for us, then we as a student body should be ready to come out and stand behind them the entire way.

View the 2006 Griffon Soccer Schedule