The Puget Sound women’s soccer team had a tremendous season this year with many awards and honors. Within their conference they have won their 11th consecutive NWC title, NWC coach of the year; and eight of the players were selected as all NWC team players. Moreover, the Loggers were one of the most balanced teams in the conference, ranking second in both goals scored and fewest goals allowed.
Overall, it was a successful season for the Loggers, and they hoped to continue their success into the NCAA tournament. Their first game was played on Saturday, Nov. 10 in Texas against Trinity College, and unfortunately it would be their only game. The Loggers were defeated by Trinity 1-0 in the first round of the tournament, concluding their 2012 season.
“One of the most successful things about our program is that we continue to climb and excel throughout the course of the season rather than plateau and settle and this really give us an extra edge on teams.
“Ultimately, what helps make us so successful is that in practice we are playing some of the best women in the conference; because we make a commitment to be the hardest opponents we will face. I am just overall so proud of the team’s commitment and determination that helped us clench that eleventh conference title,” sophomore Maddie Janssen (Lakewood, Colo.) said.
Despite their successful season, the Loggers had a tough battle waiting in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Trinity was the top-seeded team in the West Region, and limited the Loggers’ shots to just three shots on goal throughout the game.
During the first half, both teams fought hard to score the first goal of the game. More than halfway through the first half, Trinity scored the first goal of the game 26 minutes in, and the score stayed 1-0 for the rest of the half.
Once the second half started, Trinity held the Loggers back from scoring and making any attempts to score for much of the half. However, there were two goal attempts from the Loggers in the final five minutes of the game.
Sophomore Haley Rosenberg (Lake Oswego, Ore.) and freshman Amalia Acorda-Fey (Seattle, Wash.) both made strong attempts at putting the Loggers on the board in the game. Sadly, the goalkeeper from Trinity made saves during both attempts to keep her shutout against the Loggers, concluding the final game for the Loggers this season 1-0. Junior Casey Thayer (Boulder, Colo.) made four saves for the Loggers in the goal as keeper.
“It is very exciting to know that our success is going to continue since our team is going to be almost the same next season. We get the opportunity to continue to bond and strengthen our connections as a team, so much over the spring and the summer.
“We have a really rare opportunity that most other schools never get to experience and I am so excited to see how it will play out in the fall, knowing we will have the same great talent but we will be closer bonded and stronger,” Janssen said.
Although they lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the Logger women’s soccer team had a great season overall. As a team they are only losing one senior this year, and everyone else will be returning for next season, as they look to win their twelfth consecutive NWC title.
