It has been a season of development for the Racer soccer team as it heads into its final game of the spring, the alumni game Saturday.
Playing on familiar territory, the team will take on past Racer players on Cutchin Field. Coming off a tie and a loss from the team’s travels to Western Kentucky, the Racers hope to finish out the season strong.
The Racers tied the Hilltoppers 0-0 on Saturday in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Later that day, they lost to Morehead State 2-0.
The spring season is a time to grow and develop, Head Coach Beth Acreman said. Looking for redemption and improvement after a dissatisfying fall season, the Racers have been hitting the gym and training harder than ever.
“I think both games I saw really good things from our team, but we are still struggling to score goals,” Acreman said. “We’ve got a bunch of new players coming in that are more of attack players.”
The spring season consisted of matchups between Morehead State, Western Kentucky, the University of Evansville and the University of Tennessee Martin.
Starting their spring season strong, the Racers were able to clench an indoor tournament title early on.
Acreman said her team has been developing extremely well. She said a major focus of this season has been further developing the bonds and chemistry among the players. This is to prepare the team for new players in the spring.
Rehabilitating some old injuries has also been a major focus of the season. According to Acreman, several players have been sitting due to knee injuries and a variety of other issues.
“Health, fitness and team chemistry have been at the core of our program this spring,” she said.
The alumni game has historically been a fun game to help the team end its offseason on a high note. Acreman said it helps build Racer spirit and morale. It’s the last event for Racers to get back on Cutchin Field and compete against one another.
After the alumni game the soccer team enters its summer schedule, which consists of each player having an individualized 12-week program. The majority of players, old and new, will return in July to take summer school and begin working with the fitness and training coaches.
Talent and technical skills are two big qualities Acreman looks for in a player when she is out recruiting. So far, the Racers have announced the signing of 11 new players, and a few more may be coming, she said.
“I feel that our players have been doing really well and getting a good foundation,” Acreman said. “We were dissatisfied with the fall season, so we’ve been training really hard in the offseason. There have been a few injuries we are still working out and trying to get cleared, but overall it’s been a season of development.”
Story by Laura Kovarik, Staff writer.