New coach stresses hard work, team unity
The 2006-2007 women’s soccer season ended with four 0-1 losses. However, new head coach Denise Schilte-Brown doesn’t focus on records.
“We need to be the hardest working team, we need to be the fittest team, we need to work as a unit and believe in one another that each game we’re going to get a little bit better,” said Schilte-Brown. “I think if we do that then the results will come, but the focus needs to be on ourselves.”
Schilte-Brown joins the Bulls after leading Virginia Commonwealth to back-to-back NCAA Women’s Soccer College Cup appearances and Colonial Athletic Association conference championships in 2004 and 2005.
The Bulls opened the 2007-2008 season with 1-0 exhibition game win over the University of Tampa. Junior Lindsay Brauer scored the only goal of the game, picking up where she left off last season. Brauer lead the Bulls in points last season and is one of several key returnees.
Despite the presence of returning players, the 2007-2008 team is still very young. Autumn Browning, Jeannette Dyer and Paulina McIntosh are the only seniors on the roster this year and Schilte-Brown expects all of them to have an impact.
“They love being Bulls,” said Schilte-Brown. “And, I think they want to have a successful senior year and so I believe all of them will.”
According to Schilte-Brown, one of her first priorities is making sure all her coaches and players are on the same page. The first-year coach has been clear about her goals for this season.
I’d like to make it to the Big East championship,” said Brauer. “I’d like to make the (NCAA) tournament. I’d like to win more games than we did last year. I’d like to win every one and be undefeated.”
Brauer’s statements echo those of her coach, and the junior has her sights set high for the upcoming
season.
“We believe that we’re going to be a national championship team,” said Schilte-Brown. “That’s the approach we’re going to take to each practice and each game is how can we get closer to being that team that we have a vision for.”
The 2007-2008 schedule holds many challenging opponents for the Bulls, including the University of Florida, the University of Connecticut and the University of West Virginia, which all received preseason rankings by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).