By Bryce Reedy
After winning their lone two preseason games, the women’s soccer team was looking to continue their winning ways as they went to California for two games.
However, due to some unwanted yellow cards the Mavs ended their weekend going 0-1-1 after they tied against Cal State-East Bay University, 0-0, and lost, 2-1, against Stanislaus State University.
Heading into the weekend head Coach Jason Clare wasn’t as fixated on the opposition as much as he was focused on getting his team ready for RMAC play.
“To be perfectly honest I am not too concerned about the opposition,” Clare said. “I am just really focused at the moment on what we are doing. Especially because we have so many new players that have come into the program.”
The team currently consists of four new transfer players and 10 freshmen players. With the abundance of young talent, it is going to take some time for all these new faces to mesh together to the degree that they are capable of doing.
Clare, however, believes that this team is already doing a good job of complementing one another.
“I am really pleased at what we are seeing and what we are showing,” Clare said. “The girls are really applying themselves.”
Especially with all the young faces, the team was raring to go heading into their first regular season games of the season earlier in the week.
“The girls are buzzing,” Clare said. “They are chomping at the bit to get going. They are raring to go. It is kind of like a jockey at the moment trying to pull the reins back on the horse. They want to go for it. I love it. I love the energy and enthusiasm they have [right now].”
The first matchup of the weekend came on Thursday night when CMU went up against Cal State-East Bay University. Despite both teams having opportunities, neither team could muster up a goal through both regulation and two overtime periods.
Both teams ended the game with 12 shots, but CMU was beat on the number of shots on goal by a total of 10-5. Goalie Janelle Richmond-Buccola played the entire 110 minute for the Mavs having 10 saves on the night. Defender Jocelyn Ceccarelli was also yellow carded in the contest.
