Teams: UC Davis at San Francisco; vs. Seattle UniversityRecords: Aggies 0-0; Dons 0-0; Redhawks 0-0
Where: Negoesco Soccer Field – San Francisco; Aggie Soccer FieldWhen: Friday at 7 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m.
Who to Watch: Senior defender and captain Aisha Lott is ready for the Aggies to start playing games.
The Milpitas, Calif. native has put in a lot of work this off-season and she feels more comfortable working with her fellow defenders and handling the ball in pressure situations. Did you know? The Aggies are kicking off the 2011 season in good shape.
“I feel like we’re more physically fit,” Lott said.
The Aggies are happy to welcome back several key players who have struggled with injuries in the past.
UC Davis is also returning 10 of 11 starters from last year’s squad.
The team aims to use their improved fitness to help them win more games this season.Preview: Intra-squad scrimmages can only do so much for the UC Davis women’s soccer team. The Aggies are ready for actual opponents.
These games will give the Aggies a chance to play as a unit and evaluate the progress they have made in the off-season.
Lott hopes that the Aggies will compliment their physical fitness with improved mental toughness. Many of UC Davis’ losses came by a single goal last year and Lott believes they can win more of those close games by staying focused and capitalizing on more opportunities.
“We can make chances, we just need to finish more of them.” Lott said.
Coach MaryClaire Robinson also mentioned the close losses the Aggies suffered last year.
“We were very competitive last year but we underachieved in [Big West Conference play],” she said. Robinson believes that the Aggies have the ability to win more of those close games and has higher expectations for her team this year. “We want to raise the standard,” Robinson said, “It’s about raising the standard in everything from practice to conference play.”
The Aggies have worked hard to improve this off-season and both Lott and Robinson believe they have all the tools necessary to win more games. Now they just have to finish them.
“It’s all about the finishing,” Robinson said.
– Kim Carr
